


It Never Rains (But It Pours)

by Funtimewriter



Category: Adam Levine (Musician), Blake Shelton (Musician), The Voice (US) RPF, The Voice RPF
Genre: Adam needs a hug, Adultery, Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Bad Days, Bad Decisions, Bad Luck, Brain Damage, Conspiracy Theories, Did everyone see the MCD tag, Echolalia, F/M, Headaches & Migraines, I'm only warning once, M/M, Pharrell is a good friend, Protective Blake, Romantic Comedy, Sexual Harassment
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-03
Updated: 2017-06-10
Packaged: 2018-10-27 05:13:34
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 39
Words: 139,188
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10802466
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Funtimewriter/pseuds/Funtimewriter
Summary: A lonely loser in life and in love is rescued by a tall handsome stranger.  But not all is as it seems.





	1. A Day In The Life, Take One

**Author's Note:**

> I'm back, and so is the dreaded MCD tag! Finally got through the novels and have two sent off, waiting for rejections. Meanwhile, it has been a hell of a month. Got a blood clot, ended up on blood thinners, got in a car accident (I was intentionally struck! Got the everloving fuck smashed out of the newest, most expensive vehicle I have ever owned and the bitch left the scene!), got a head injury, needed a scan because of the previously mentioned blood thinners, ended up with mild brain injury and finally recovered. Meanwhile, from the constant rain lately, there is so much pollen I've been hoarse for a month and am constantly sneezing, coughing, and hitting the albuterol. With recent surgery on my lungs and blood thinners, that means hemoptysis (look it up if you want, but I assure you, it's gross). Meanwhile, although insurance (hers, they caught the bitch, ha!) will cover the repair and medical, the house is needing around 9k worth of upgrades to the HVAC. Won't be able to be in my own home while that is going on. Chuffing lovely it is! But it turns out, when I badly need a laugh, the boys in the basement sometimes pitch in!
> 
> I do not normally start out a fic with one of the major character's main themes before the character has been introduced or established or the first word read, but Adam's theme for this fic is one that I have identified with all too well.
> 
> This song:  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afAyVmKq16Q
> 
> For my readers for whom English is not a first language or those who just are not familiar, the phrase "It never rains, but it pours" refers to the way troubles tend to come all at once rather than one at a time. Something I have been experiencing lately! With all that is going on right now, plus the fact that I have chosen to give myself one bugger of a challenge as an editor (you'll see what I mean soon enough), there is no way that the usual almost-daily updates will happen this time. But do bear with me. If I survive and am able to access my computer, I will finish this story. As a consolation prize, I'll post the first two chapters. And yes, Mr. Fun is back, having suggested that I write this up as fan fic in the first place!
> 
> Enough said. Enjoy the fic!

            Adam hastily buttoned his shirt, buckled his belt, straightened his tie and ran his fingers through his hair, trying to make himself look presentable.  He took a tissue from the box on the desk and used it to wipe the lipstick off of his mouth.  It certainly wasn’t his color.  “Listen, how long do I have to keep doing this?” he asked.  “You told me it would only be a few times, to get you over a bad stretch.  But it’s been months now, and...”

            The shapely blonde woman sitting on the mahogany desk reached up and pressed a finger to his lips.  When he stilled, Christina twisted his tie around in her hand and used it to pull him down for a kiss.  “You’re up for a raise next month, aren’t you?” she asked quietly.  “I think your work is quite satisfactory, and I’ll be sure to recommend the top of the scale.”

            “So, maybe next month I can stop?”

            She smiled, reaching around with her other hand to squeeze his ass.  “You seem to be enjoying things as much as I am.  Is being my tattooed love boy really so bad?”

            “Considering that we have absolutely nothing in common other than you being my immediate supervisor, I’m in my twenties and you’re in your forties, you’re married, your husband is the CEO of this company and you’re blackmailing me into doing this?  Yeah, it kind of is.”  Adam pushed her hands way, reached down to the floor, and handed her a silken thong.  “We’re done, right?  I gotta get back to work.”

            Adam’s barbs never seemed to bother Christina.  If anything, she seemed to enjoy the fact that he obviously didn’t want to have any sort of relationship with her.  She smiled as she accepted her thong and shoved it into the pocket of her expensive suit coat.  Then she crossed one leg over the other as she sat on her desk and leaned forward a bit, showing off not only her shapely legs beneath her skirt but her ample cleavage, as well.  “Adam?” she said.  “This is a business arrangement like any other.  You want this job and a raise, and I want you.  When you’re ready to walk, we can end the arrangement.”

            “So in other words, if I want to keep working here, I have to keep fucking you?  Dammit, Christina!”

            She winked.  “I love it when you talk dirty!”  She took his tie again and pulled him back down for another kiss.  “Come back for lunch tomorrow.  I’ll be waiting.”

            He pried her fingers off of his tie and wiped again at his mouth with the tissue.  “You know, it would be nice to be able to actually eat on my lunch breaks.  And could you maybe reconsider your policy against clip-on ties?  I really hate it how you pull me around like this.”

            “I enjoy it!  I like having you on a leash.”

            “Yeah, I kind of got that impression.”  Adam paused, took a deep breath, and then plunged ahead.  “What about school?  You said you’d talk to HR about tuition so I can finish my degree, maybe be qualified for this job?”

            “Oh, that.”  She waved a hand dismissively.  “I haven’t gotten around to it yet.”

           “You haven’t...!”  Adam closed his eyes and breathed hard through his nose.  “You know that I lied on my application to get this job.  I never finished my degree, and if you don’t help me, I never will!”

            She shrugged.  “You seem to be doing just fine without it.”

            “Christina, tell me the truth, alright?  Do you have any intention at all of helping me?”

            Her blue eyes went wide.  “Why wouldn’t I?”

            “I don’t know,” he snapped.  “Maybe because you get off on controlling me?  Because you like having me on a leash in more ways than one?”

            She giggled.  “Oh Adam, you’re so adorable when you’re angry!”

            Adam’s fists clenched even as his shoulders slumped in defeat.  “I need to get back.  The Neville account is going to take me the rest of the day, and you used up my entire lunch break.”

            She waved her manicured fingers at him.  “See you for lunch tomorrow!  Looking forward to it, lover boy!”

            Adam didn’t dignify that with a response.  He left Christina’s office and headed back to his cubicle.  There he plopped into his chair with a sigh and rubbed at his temples.

            The squeak of wheels announced the presence of his coworker in the next cubicle scooting back to peer around the cubicle wall.  “So!” Pharrell called quietly.  “How was lunch?”

            “Awful as usual, and I’m famished and my head is killing me as usual.  Go away.”

            “You know that’s sexual harassment and completely illegal, right?” Pharrell pointed out.  “You could report her!”

           “And then they find out that I didn’t finish school, never got my degree, and am completely unqualified for this job and fire my undereducated ass.  Then what, Pharrell?  I go back to waiting tables and working two jobs just to scrape by while the government taxes my meager tips?  No thanks!” Adam retorted.  His hazel eyes flicked about, alert for anyone who might wander close enough to hear them.  “Look, I told you I wasn’t comfortable talking about any of this at work.  You want to get a beer tonight?”

            “I would, man, but the wife’s at her mother’s and I got the kids tonight.”  He smiled.  “You need more friends, buddy!  Most of our fellow drones here in these cubicles like you, Adam, even if they think you’re weird.  And the fact is, pretty much everyone already suspects you’re whoring yourself out to Christina.  I caught on quickly enough, didn’t I?  And God knows you’re not the first pretty young guy she’s had lunch with, according to the office grapevine.”

            “You’re a hell of a friend, Pharrell.”

            “So what did the Queen Bitch say about school?”

            Adam gritted his teeth.  “She hasn’t gotten around to it yet.”

            Pharrell shook his head.  “Bitch literally has you by the balls, man!”  He frowned, watching as Adam rubbed at his temples again.  “Headache again?  You get those almost daily!”

            “I know.  I’m the one getting them.”

            “You ever see a doctor about those?  You could be having migraines!  My wife’s sister...”

            “Dude, you have seen enough of my life that it should be no surprise whatsoever that I constantly have pounding headaches,” Adam growled.  “Besides, you know how shitty our health insurance is!  I can’t afford to go to a doctor, Pharrell.”

            “Just saying, a doc might be able to do something to help you?”

            “Unless he can magically erase the last few years when I fucked up my entire life?  I don’t think so.”  Adam scowled and logged in to his computer.  “Love you, man, but beat it, Pharrell.  I gotta get back to work.”

            Pharrell raised his hands in surrender and squeaked back into his cubicle.  Adam considered getting him a can of WD-40.  But then he wouldn’t know when his idiot friend was rolling over to talk to him.  Good thing Pharrell loved scooting around in the rolling chairs.  Otherwise, Adam would have to figure out some way to put a bell on him.

            Four hours later, Adam rubbed at his eyes, sat back, and stared longingly at the post card he’d tacked to the wall of his cubicle.  The picture showed, poetically enough, the sun coming up over Santa Monica Boulevard.  He’d seen it all his life, and had taken it for granted until he’d come out here and finally understood that he might never see it again.  When he’d left, he’d only considered the bad things he was leaving behind, like his dad and his belt, his mother’s lectures, and the bullies who’d made his life miserable through most of his teen years.  But now, homesickness hit him like a crashing wave on the beaches he’d once walked on.  It seemed like a million years ago that he’d dropped out of school and left LA to move east with his fiancée.  But now it was too late.  He doubted he’d ever see the real thing again.

            In retrospect, Adam could not believe how stupid he’d been.  Now he was trapped in this job, whoring himself out to his boss while he did work that was better than most of his coworkers who hadn’t dropped out their last semester of school to chase a pipe dream that had gone up in smoke less than three months after he’d arrived.  That was the worst part.  He was good at his job.  His accounts were perfectly balanced, able to withstand anything that the IRS could throw at them, and his reports were top notch.  He expertly funneled money into investments and accounts that reduced tax burden.  All of his clients were extremely pleased.  Adam knew that his work deserved the high-end raise Christina dangled in front of his nose like a carrot.  He knew he deserved to be promoted out of her department.  And he knew it wouldn’t happen.  Christina would keep him trapped here in this dead-end job until she tired of him and moved on.  And when that happened, she probably wouldn’t promote him.  In all likelihood, she’d just make sure that his transcript from school made its way to her husband, and Adam would simply be fired.

            What a life.

            Adam waited in line and punched out.  His stomach growled and had been growling for hours.  As soon as he was in his car, he gobbled his lunch.  Then he belched loudly, brushed the crumbs onto the floor, and turned the key.  The car rumbled in protest, the engine sputtering as it turned over.  Once again, Adam regretted selling the reliable sedan he’d driven east with for this clunker.  He pumped the gas, said the magic curse words, and the car finally came to life.  It backfired once, breathing noxious black smoke that drifted into the car and made Adam choke and his eyes water.  Finally, it settled into the familiar uneven knocking pattern that would most likely never pass the inspection that was due in three months.  Of course, that depended on the car even lasting three months.  It was clearly on its last legs.  Adam had no idea what he would do when it finally gave out.  He certainly couldn’t afford another one.

            On the way home, just because fate wasn’t done screwing him yet, some asshole rear-ended him at an intersection.  The asshole bitched Adam out for five minutes for his crime of stopping at a yellow light.  Then he’d jumped back into his car and floored it, leaving Adam standing, staring after him, with his insurance card in his hand and his muffler on the pavement, surrounded by the shattered remains of his tail light.

            The cop arrived five minutes later, shook his head as he filled out the report, and then eyed the damage.  “You got full coverage?”

            “Liability only,” Adam confessed.

            The officer shook his head.  “Sorry, son.  But you can’t drive it like that.  You got no tail light and your exhaust is dragging on the road.  I’ll call you a tow.  You got triple-A?”

            “Of course not.  That would imply some good news, and today is clearly not the day for that.  Best part is, it’s only Monday!  I’ve got the whole rest of the week, full of days just as bad or worse than this one.”

              The officer shook his head again and made tsking sounds as he called for the tow.  “Buddy, this is going to cost you an arm and a leg.”

            “Of course it is.”  Adam rubbed his temples.  “You got a buyer in mind for one of my kidneys?”

            “You might need to sell them both, to be honest.”

            “Perfect.  You got a gun, right, officer?  Think maybe you could just shoot me, make it look like an accident?”

            “Don’t even joke about that, son.”

            “Not so sure I’m joking.”

            At least the cop was decent enough to give Adam a ride home.  As it turned out, that worked out well.  As soon as the headlights fell on the broken window in his row apartment, Adam knew he’d been robbed.  They’d taken his stereo, his TV, and even his ancient microwave.  What anyone thought might be in a dump like this worth robbing was beyond Adam.  He stood in his living space/bedroom, feeling the cold air blowing right over his bed, and cursed for a full minute.

            Once more, the officer shook his head as he filled out the report.  “This is so not your day, buddy,” he sighed.  “Just absolutely not your day.”


	2. A Tall Dark Handsome Stranger

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adam hits the floor, but someone unexpected offers some much-needed help

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As promised, double post, two chapters for the price of one

            The garbage bag his landlord had unhelpfully duct taped over the broken window did little to keep out the rain, and less to keep out the wind.  Adam had already spent two years here and was all too aware of how cold winters got on the east coast.  But the late spring didn’t seem much warmer, especially not with the driving wind blasting damp, cold air over him from the broken window.  He’d already asked three times when the window would be replaced, and his landlord was starting to give him the evil eye.  The window would be replaced when it was replaced.  For now, all Adam could do was huddle under his threadbare blanket and shiver.

            At least he had his car back, and the engine was considerably more reliable.  Three days of begging rides was quite enough.  Then tonight, Pharrell hadn’t been in, he couldn’t get anyone to give him a ride, and he’d ended up walking to the garage to get his car.  He hadn’t gotten more than halfway there before the rain started.  By the time he’d reached the garage, Adam bore an amazing resemblance to a drowned rat.  In all likelihood, his seat would still be wet tomorrow, when he had to drive back in to work.  He’d have to throw a towel over it.

            By the time he’d dripped into his apartment and got something to eat, Adam’s head had been throbbing so badly that he’d barely been able to keep his meager dinner down.  Then he’d stood under the hot shower to wash the chill from his bones and the smell of Christina’s expensive perfume off of his skin before he’d simply pulled on a clean pair of underwear and an old t-shirt and collapsed into his bed.  His rumbling stomach didn’t help.  The repair and tow costs had drained his ready cash.  As it was, he had no idea how he was going to afford groceries.  He hadn’t bothered packing a lunch, knowing what Christina would demand of him, and dinner had consisted of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich that had used the last two pieces of bread in his apartment, washed down with a can of V-8.  He was all too aware that he was looking at another week of surviving on ramen noodles.  He also desperately craved a cigarette, but that expense was out of the question.  Besides, he’d gone for over a month without one.  Adam knew he should quit.  No time like the present.

            Adam just wished he could quit his job.  It paid well above minimum, which was the only reason he could afford what little he had, including this firetrap of an apartment.  The walls were thin, sending through the sounds of loud arguing usually followed by loud fucking from Tim and Cynthia, the couple on the left in the row of apartments.  From the right came the pounding music of Jeff, the would-be rocker and his band.  Both sides sounded equally bad.  The apartment certainly wasn’t worth what Adam paid every month, but at least the utilities were part of the deal, including cable TV.  Now that Pharrell had taken pity on him and given him an old set, Adam could enjoy it.  Of course, the set was fuzzy and occasionally the picture rolled, but hey, it was better than sitting and staring at the walls, listening to yelling and fucking on one side and bad music and off-key singing on the other.  Adam had Bessie, his guitar, and flattered himself that he could play fairly well.  He even sang a bit.  But even though Bessie was his prized possession and had miraculously been overlooked by the burglar, Adam hadn’t had the heart to touch her in quite some time.  The only reason she’d likely been missed by the burglar was because Adam, feeling like she was accusing him somehow for neglecting her, had hidden her in his closet.  Part of him longed to pick her back up again.  But he simply couldn’t.

            Adam’s head pounded worse than usual tonight.  He was seeing the ominous green glow around light sources that made his stomach want to heave.  Not good.  He rolled over and put his back to the window, adjusting the blankets and clothing around him.  He’d gotten the brilliant idea of stuffing all of his sweaters under the blankets with him to help keep warm, and it worked surprisingly well.  The biggest problem was that the bed was just too big.  The queen sized bed was achingly empty with only him in it.  The empty space was just another reminder of what he’d lost.

            Was it any wonder he suffered from frequent headaches?

            But tonight, that green aura around the lights signaled that he was about to get one of the really bad ones, the kind that laid him out and made him think he’d never survive, that his head would simply explode.  He could only lay still and let it happen.  His headache peaked to new heights of agony, reducing him to pitiful whines of pain as he lay in the bed, feeling his stomach churn.  The pain was almost a living thing, bringing tears to his eyes and making him wish he could just pass out to escape.  Adam was glad that he didn’t get them this bad more than once every month or two, but that was quite enough.  He longed for something to at least take the edge off.  But he hadn’t been lying to Pharrell.  There was no way he could afford a hospital bill, especially now.  There was no choice but to simply ride it out.

            The worst of the pain had finally eased and Adam had just fallen asleep when it happened.  There was a loud boom just outside of his window, followed immediately by a tremendous force that sent Adam flying into the wall.  His bed immediately followed, landing at an odd tilt on its side, held precariously by a bit of debris above him.  Adam had time to blink up at his new view of the raining sky through what remained of his roof before the debris broke and the bed crashed down, landing on top of him.  There was a series of dull thuds as more debris fell onto the bed, increasing the weight on Adam’s body.  Then everything went still.

            For the first time that night, Adam was shielded from the wind and damp.  Always a silver lining, especially since his pillow and blankets had made the trip with him.  At first, Adam was tempted to just say “Fuck it” and go back to sleep, hard floor or not.  But when he looked up to where the corner of the bed was propped slightly up against the wall, he spotted a telltale orange flickering glow.  And then he caught the scent of smoke.  “Oh, shit!”

            Adam tried to crawl forward, but quickly found he couldn’t.  The heavy mattress and bedsprings, the steel frame and whatever had fallen on top of the bed combined into a crushing weight that pressed down on him.  To get up off of the ground required him to push up against the bed with his back, which required all of his strength.  Even then, he could only manage a couple of inches for a few seconds, and couldn’t move.  Frightened, he tried to get the bed to shift, so he could slide it off of him.  But the bed wouldn’t move.

            “Dammit, get off me!”  Adam pushed and strained, trying to squirm free.  He couldn’t get out.  The weight on his body pinned him firmly down.  The only reason he could move as much as he could was that the corner of the bed above his head had fallen against the wall and was being tilted up a little, providing him with some air.  He could wiggle a little, but couldn’t go forward or backwards.  With a sinking heart, Adam finally had to admit that he was trapped.  As he kept watching, the light grew brighter as the fire spread.  He’d hoped that the continued rain would put it out.  But apparently, that wasn’t happening.  Instead, it seemed to be moving steadily closer.  “Help me!” he yelled.  “I’m trapped under the bed, and there’s a fire!  Someone please help me!”

            The sound was muffled by the mattress.  Adam could hear more screams and shouts outside as he continued to struggle and call for help.  Could anyone hear him?  With all the damage his apartment had taken, surely someone would think to check on him!  But as time went by and the light of the flames only grew, Adam gave way to panic.  He squirmed and writhed, shoving against the mattress and trying desperately to struggle out from under it.  But he was caught.  “Get it off of me!  Let me out!” he screamed.  “Please help me!”  There was no doubt that the fire was close.  Adam could hear the crackle of flames growing louder, feel the rising temperature of the air.  Would he burn to death?  Or simply be baked in the oven of his cheap apartment?  “Someone please get me out!  I’m trapped under the bed!  Please, somebody help me!”

            He sobbed in terror as smoke began to appear, making its way under the corner of the bed that was propped above his head, invading the tiny space he had to breathe.  This was it, then.  He’d simply suffocate.  He supposed that was better than either of the alternatives he’d considered, but Adam did not want to die.  With a small cry, he pushed up with all his strength, silently praying that he could somehow shift the bed, make it move far enough that he could climb out from under it.  He managed to raise it up a few inches.  But the weight of it bore down on him, his arms shook, and he finally fell back down.  Now the bed shifted again, slid further down the wall, and pressed down on him until he could barely move.  Suddenly, Adam was in darkness, and had to fight just to breathe. 

            He was wrong, he decided.  Suffocation wasn’t better than being burned alive or roasting to death.  Panic gripped him as he desperately searched for a way to breathe.  “Help!  Please get it off of me!” he managed in the dark stillness.  “I don’t want to die like this!”  He struggled to move, each breath coming shallow and fast as the crushing weight pressed against him.  “Help me!  I’m pinned under the bed!  Get me out!”  He sobbed, straining to struggle free.  “Help me, please, why won’t anyone help me?”

            And then the weight pressing down on him suddenly eased as the bed rose.  Adam quickly shimmied backwards until he was free.  “Thank you,” he sobbed at the legs next to him.  “Thank you so much!”

            His rescuer let go of the bed, which fell down with a crash.  Now Adam could see why he’d been trapped.  The reason he’d been able to see the sky was that most of his roof had, apparently, been bent up at a high angle.  When the bed had shifted a bit of debris high on the wall, it had jarred the roof enough that most of it had come crashing down.  The bed had protected him, but the weight of it on the bed, combined with more debris all around the mattress keeping it from sliding, had worked to trap him.  He couldn’t see any way that he could have gotten out of the terrible trap alone, and the entire room was wavy with heat and the glow of flames.

            Adam got uneasily to his feet.  Then he looked up – and up – at his rescuer.  At six feet tall, there weren’t many who could make Adam feel short.  But the man who had just saved his life towered over him.  Intense blue eyes stared down at him from beneath a full head of gunmetal hair.  He was neatly dressed in a charcoal grey suit with shiny polished black boots.  The face was ruggedly handsome, but unfamiliar. 

            Adam didn’t care  He embraced the stranger without thinking.  “You saved my life!” he hiccupped.  “Thank you!”

            The stranger didn’t move.  When Adam looked up, he was staring down at him, his head cocked in confusion.  Then warmth filled the blue eyes and suddenly the man’s arms were around Adam, holding him close.  Adam clung to him, shaking in relief and gratitude.

            Then something shattered, and Adam took note of his surroundings.  The apartment, what was left of it, was still on fire.  Already, the heat was making him sweat and the smoke was filling the air.  “Come on!” he called, taking the stranger’s hand.  “Let’s get out of here!”

            The two of them quickly stepped over the few inches that remained of Adam’s front wall and went outside.  As sirens grew closer, Adam’s neighbors were already recovering.  Jeff, his band member neighbor, was busy filming the blaze with his cell phone while providing running commentary.  Tim and Cynthia were, unsurprisingly, screaming at each other again.  The tenants of the other apartments were also outside, huddling together in the pouring rain.  As near as Adam could tell, everyone had made it safely out.  But the five-apartment row building was pretty much demolished.  His own apartment, it appeared, had borne the brunt of the damage.  Adam’s front door had apparently been blasted into the next county.  The fire seemed to have started from the twisted remains of Adam’s gas stove and was rapidly spreading through his new open-air design despite the rain.  “Always did say that place was a firetrap,” Adam grumbled to his new friend.  “Now I’ve got proof!”

            “Are you part of a terrorist cell?”  It was Jeff.  He was shoving the camera on his cell phone at Adam’s face.  Apparently, he had aspirations of stardom as a news reporter in the likely event he failed to succeed as a rock star.  “Why did you have a bomb in your car?”

            “What?”  Adam turned and saw what was left of the car he’d just spent far more than he could afford to repair.  It was clearly ground zero of the explosion.  The cars around it had been tossed like matchbox toys.  The power lines were down, sparking and writhing like live snakes.  The poles had been snapped like toothpicks.  Trees and hedges had been flattened, mailboxes and outdoor equipment tossed, and everything radiated out in a circle from Adam’s car.  The car looked like a pancake.  It was flattened against the cracked pavement as if God himself had extended a giant fist to smite the vehicle into the ground.  Adam’s jaw dropped, and his hand went to his head.  “Oh, you have got to be shitting me!”

            Jeff was back in Adam’s face.  “What terrorist cell are you a part of?”

            “Look, Rockstar, you need to get out of my face,” Adam warned.  “I have already had a hell of a week, my head is killing me, and I have absolutely nothing left to lose.  Punching you might just be the first bit of satisfaction I’ve had in way too long!”

            “Rockstar?  I’m metal, bitch!”

            “Rockstar.”  Adam’s giant rescuer was still staring at him.  This was the first thing he’d said since rescuing Adam.

            Adam did a double-take at the tall man, shook his head, and returned his attention to Jeff.  “Listen, moron, I’m not a terrorist and this wasn’t a bomb.  It looks more like a meteor strike or something!  See how it flattened my car?  That wasn’t an explosion, something hit it!”

            “Oh yeah?  Then what hit it, genius?  All I see is your stupid piece of shit car at the center of this whole mess!”

            “I don’t fucking know!  I was sound asleep in bed!  And looking at the damage to my apartment, frankly I’m amazed I’m still alive!”  Adam’s frown deepened.  “I almost wasn’t!  I got trapped under my bed when it flipped on top of me, and where the hell were you?  Why didn’t anyone help me?  You all saw what happened to my apartment, and not one fucking person came to check on me?”

            “We’re not your babysitters, you tattooed L.A. freak!” Cynthia called.

            “I’m not asking for a babysitter, I’m asking for some basic human decency!” Adam yelled.  “I was trapped and the apartment was on fire, and I was screaming for help, and no one even thought to make sure I was alright?  If it hadn’t been for this guy here...!”

            “This your boyfriend?” Tim wanted to know, looking from the tall man to Adam and back.

            “What?  No!”

            “Hey, calm down, dude, no one gives a shit.”

            “Honestly, I thought that, too,” Jeff said.  “You’re in a t-shirt and undies, and you’re holding hands with him, so I just assumed...?”

            Adam stared down at his hand, still clasped with the stranger’s.  He blushed and let go.  “Sorry,” he apologized.  “I didn’t mean...  Um, you ok, man?”

            It was like watching a tree fall, so much that some part of Adam’s brain wanted to yell “Timber!”  The man didn’t collapse.  He fell backwards.  The blue eyes rolled back into his head and he simply toppled over.  Adam barely managed to grab him before the back of his skull impacted the ground.  “Call an ambulance!” Adam yelled, cradling the man’s head.  “Someone call a fucking ambulance!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 1: Mr. Fun said Christina is a bitch. He also says he had a car that required magic curse words, this guy has no luck at all and he's totally been there. Agrees with me on the song choice for Adam, says it's been my theme song lately, too.
> 
> Chapter 2: Mr. Fun thought that would really suck, being trapped in a fire.


	3. A Long Road To Recovery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adam and Pharrell pay Adam's hero a visit in the hospital, and learn some surprising things

            “Ok, this is really cool, and it’s nice to see that people give a shit, but what the hell am I supposed to do with all this?” Adam exclaimed.  “I’ve got no car, and I’m staying at the motel the Red Cross put me up in.  It’s got a tiny microwave and an equally tiny fridge.  I don’t even have any dishes!  What am I supposed to do with six casseroles and a huge container of potato salad and, holy crap, is that a cheesecake?”

            When the news crews had arrived last night, just after Adam had seen his rescuer off in the ambulance, Adam had been more annoyed and embarrassed than anything else.  But apparently, having TV cameras shoved in your face when you’re standing in pouring rain wearing only your t-shirt and underwear had its advantages.  Pretty much everyone had been treated to the sight of a soaking wet pissed off Adam in his skivvies when they’d watched the morning news today.  And apparently, they’d recognized him.  It seemed like most of his fellow cubicle dwellers had come up to Adam, asking if he was alright and offering food.  Even Sanders from the second floor had provided the potato salad.

            “I’m happy to take that cheesecake off of your hands,” Pharrell offered.

            “No way, that thing is mine!”  Adam gathered the cheesecake possessively into his arms.

            “Asshole.  I should not give you this money.”  Pharrell waved an envelope.  “We took up a collection for you.”

            “Really?  Dude, that’s awesome!  I was able to salvage most of my clothes because the closet was behind the bed, but I lost pretty much everything else I ever owned, including my work shoes.  That’s why I came to work in these.”  Adam indicated his feet, displaying the grungy sneakers with a hole in one toe that he never had gotten around to throwing out.

            Pharrell winced.  “Please tell me you didn’t lose Bessie?  Not after the asshole who robbed you missed her!”

            “Pharrell, the gods of fate have already been trying to smite me.  Let’s not remind them that they missed Bessie in that closet again and give them another chance.”

            “Then she’s ok?”  Pharrell breathed a sigh of relief.  “Thank God!”

            “You said it, man.”

            “Adam!  I heard you were in a fire!”  Christina swept into the break room like a miniature blonde hurricane and moved quickly to Adam’s side.  “I’m so glad you’re alright!  I...  Oh!  Cheesecake!  Thank you!”

            Adam lifted the cheesecake out of the short woman’s reach.  “That’s my cheesecake, Christina, but you’re welcome to some potato salad?”

            Her blue eyes moved to Pharrell.  “Isn’t your break over?”

            “Sure is.”  Pharrell nodded to Adam.  “I’ll hold that envelope for you, buddy, and get it to you after work.  And we’ll swing by the shoe store before I take you to your motel.”

            “Thanks, man, you’re awesome!” Adam called.

            “Hey, you know it!”

            Christina followed Pharrell to the door, and Adam foolishly hoped she’d follow him out.  But instead, she stopped and turned the lock.  The click it made when it closed seemed very loud.  Heart pounding, Adam carefully set his cheesecake on the table and turned to face her.

            Christina was quick to return to him.  “The old man’s out of town for two days starting Monday,” she purred, wrapping herself around Adam.  “Business meetings.  I’ll be such a lonely girl!  You don’t have to stay in some roach infested motel, Adam.”

            “Honestly, I think I prefer the company of the roaches.”  He pried at her arms.  “Let go of me, Christina.  I need to get back to work.”

            “Don’t worry.  The door’s locked.”  She had his tie again and was pulling his head down.

            “C’mon, leave me alone, I don’t have time for this!” he complained, turning his head away and trying to reclaim his tie.  “The Stamford account...”

            Her hands were on his chest now, pushing him back against the wall.  Then she pulled his shirt free and slid her hands up under it.  “It can wait.”

            He groaned.  “Get off of me!  I was just in an explosion last night, and today I’m exhausted and covered with bruises.  Won’t you please just leave me alone so I can heal?”

            She frowned, her hands still up under his shirt.  “You know, I’ve been thinking about that raise.  Maybe you don’t really deserve the high end?”

            Adam sputtered.  “Are you fucking kidding me?  I bust my ass every day for this place, and you’re going to cut back on my raise because I asked you for some time to heal after I was in an explosion and lost damned near everything I own?”  He irritably pushed her hands out of his shirt.  “What the hell do you want from me, Christina?”

            She smiled and reached up, starting to unbutton his shirt.  “I think you know exactly what I want.” 

            He grabbed her hands.  “Dammit, stop!  I’m serious, ok?  Leave me alone!”

            “Oh, quit pretending like you don’t like it!”  Then she stopped, blinking at the bruises on his chest.

            “See?” Adam exclaimed.  He pulled up his shirt, showing her the extent of the bruises all over his chest and abdomen.  “I got thrown against a wall and then onto the floor, and then the bed fell on top of me.  I’m all banged up!  Please, just leave me alone!  It’s Friday anyway.  Let me have today and the weekend, and then Monday I’ll do whatever you want, ok?”

            “Whatever I want?”  Her smile grew wider, and Adam had cause to bitterly regret his hasty choice of words.  “Alright, handsome.  I’ll leave you alone today.  But you better limber up over the weekend.  You are going to have a very busy lunch break on Monday!”  And with that, she picked up the box containing Adam’s cheesecake and strutted out, high heels clicking as she walked.

****

            “She took your cheesecake?  What a bitch!”

            “Preaching to the choir, buddy.  Then I compounded it when I told her if she left me alone today, I’d do whatever she wanted Monday.”

            Pharrell facepalmed.  “You really are an idiot, aren’t you, Levine?”

            “Fuck you, Williams.  I was just so desperate to get her to leave me alone that I wasn’t thinking.  Give me a break, my brains got rattled in that explosion!”

            “You know she’s going to want something weird, right?”

            “Shut up.”

            “Dude, you’re fucked, pun intended!”

            “Pharrell?  Shut.  Up.”

            Pharrell shook his head.  “Damn, that still sucks about the cheesecake.  Who made it?”

            “Laverne.”

            Pharrell’s eyes grew wide.  “Oh shit!  That woman can cook!  That cheesecake was probably incredible!”

            “Hey Pharrell, while we’re out, do you think maybe we need to pick up some more salt?” Adam complained bitterly.  “You’re dumping so much into my wounds right now you’re bound to be running low.”

            “A Laverne cheesecake,” Pharrell moaned.  “Man, no wonder it looked so good!  You know, if you’d have just given it to me, I would have at least shared it with you.”

            “Bite me.  Let’s just get these shoes.  I really need a beer.”

            The two quickly found two pairs of shoes for Adam.  But when they reached the register to check out, Adam frowned, seeing his friend pull out his wallet.  “Pharrell, I was going to use this money from the envelope to pay for the shoes.  You don’t have to get them for me!”

            “Don’t worry about it, man.  Besides, they’re not that pricey.”  Pharrell quickly purchased Adam’s shoes and handed him the boxes.  “A pair for work, and a decent pair of sneakers.  Use that money to get whatever else you need.”

            “Thanks, buddy,” Adam said humbly.  “You’re a great friend.  That’s real generous of you.  But you shouldn't have done it.”

            Pharrell tipped his hat.  “You ain’t the boss of me, bitch.  I’ll do what I want.”

            Adam laughed.  “I love you, Pharrell.”

            “What’s not to love?”  The two climbed into Pharrell’s car.  “So, you were trapped under your bed and the apartment was on fire?  Man, I would have been pissing my pants!”

            “I was just about ready to piss my pants,” Adam admitted.  “No matter how hard I tried, I could not get out!  And I yelled and yelled for someone to help me, but no one could hear me under the mattress, especially not with Cynthia and Tim screaming at each other again outside.  And none of my asshole neighbors even thought to check on me!  If it wasn’t for that big guy, I wouldn’t be here today!”

            “You didn’t get his name?”

            “I told you, he passed out on me.  Must have breathed in too much smoke or something.  Last I saw him, they were loading him into an ambulance.”

            The two had buckled up and Pharrell had started the engine.  But then Pharrell sat quietly behind the wheel.

            “What?” Adam asked.

            “Let’s go see him,” Pharrell decided, putting the car in gear.  “Make sure he came through everything alright.”

            “It’s way out of your way, buddy.”

            “I have this thing about people who save the lives of people I care about,” Pharrell confessed.  “This guy saved your life, so let’s make sure he’s ok.  It’s the least we can do!”

            Adam couldn’t argue with that.  He’d been thinking about going to the hospital to check on his hero, but hadn’t wanted to ask Pharrell to go so far out of his way.  He was glad that his only real friend had gotten the same idea.

            At first, Adam didn’t think they’d be able to visit with his unknown savior for precisely that reason – they had no idea who he was.  But when Adam explained what had happened and described the man, they were brought directly to the room of John Doe.

            “He hasn’t told anyone his name,” the nurse explained.  “We can’t even get him to write it down.  Honestly, we’re not certain he understands English, but he hasn’t said much of anything in any language.  In fact, the only thing he’s said since he was admitted is...”

            “Rockstar!”

            Adam looked and saw his giant rescuer smiling brightly at him from the hospital bed in the room, revealing dimples that made Adam feel a bit weak in the knees.  Adam had known for years that he was bisexual, although no one outside of his family and friends like Pharrell knew.  Usually, Adam preferred females.  But for Mr. Doe, he could certainly make an exception. 

            The blue eyes shone as they fixed on Adam.  But then they darkened as his shoulders jerked.  Adam was confused for a moment until he looked down a bit.  “Hey, why the hell did you tie him down?” he exclaimed.

            “When he first woke up, he went wild and injured several staff members,” the nurse explained.  “We didn’t have any choice but to sedate and restrain him.  But maybe now that you’re here, we can try letting him loose.  You’re the first visitor he’s had, and he obviously knows you.  Not to pry, but is he your boyfriend?”

            “What?  No!  First time I ever saw the guy was when he saved my life back at my apartment.  But he did save my life when no one else could be bothered.  So I’ll take responsibility for anything he does, ok?  Now let’s let him go.”

            The nurse moved forward, but the stranger’s eyes went hard and he frowned, his hands clenching into fists.  She quickly backed off.  “Maybe you should try this?  We tried to release him earlier, but every time, he went after us, yelling ‘Rockstar’ and throwing people around.  He’s very strong!  But since you seem to be his ‘Rockstar,’ Mr. Levine, perhaps you’ll have better luck?  Just be very careful!”

            “Maybe letting him go isn’t such a good idea?” Pharrell cautioned, eyeing the big man in the bed.

            “If he hadn’t been so strong, he wouldn’t have been able to lift that bed off of me and I would have died!  I’m going to at least try to let him go, Pharrell.  I owe him that much.”  Adam moved closer, smiling at the stranger, who smiled back.  “Hey, buddy!  You gonna behave yourself and not go crazy on me if I let you go?”

            “Let me out,” Doe pleaded.  “Please help me!  I don’t want to die like this!”

            “Whoa, you’re not gonna die!  Hang on, I’ll get you out.”  Adam quickly undid the restraints on Doe’s wrists.  “There.  See?  You’re fine!”

            Doe rubbed at his wrists and beamed at Adam.  When he suddenly grabbed Adam and jerked him forward, Adam nearly panicked.  The man was indeed very strong.  But Doe was only pulling Adam into a tight embrace.  “You saved my life!  Thank you!”

            “Heh, it wasn’t exactly that dramatic, but hey, no problem!”  Adam patted Doe’s back.  Doe let him go, still smiling brightly.

            “That’s amazing!” the nurse said.  “The only thing he’s said since he was admitted was ‘Rockstar,’ but you come in and he’s speaking complete sentences!  He still seems a bit confused, but it’s a massive improvement.  He’s suffered a fairly severe brain injury, and the condition he’s displaying, his inability to speak, is called expressive aphasia.”

            “Ooo, not good,” Pharrell commented, wincing.  “My grandfather had that after his stroke.  He never fully recovered.”

            “There,” Doe said.  “See?  You’re fine!”

            Adam blinked in confusion.  Then he frowned.  “You know, I just realized something,” he told Doe.  “Dude, every single thing you have said so far has been something that I said either now or last night.”

            “Last night,” Doe said, still smiling.

            Adam’s shoulders slumped.  “You have no idea what you’re actually saying, do you?”

            “No idea!”  The smile remained.

            “That,” Pharrell called, “is the biggest parrot I have ever seen in my life!”

            “It’s still progress,” the nurse insisted.  “Echolalia, the way he’s repeating your words, is something that can happen with brain injury.  The fact that he can capture words enough to repeat them is more than he’s done since he was admitted.  Like I said, he’s got substantial damage.  Frankly, it’s amazing that he’s even conscious, let alone speaking.  Now, I need to inform the doctor.  He’s with the social worker, and they were about to make a decision that you just might be able to help us with, Mr. Levine.”

            “Me?”  Adam blinked.  “What do you mean?”

            “I think I’ll have the social worker explain.  I’ll send her in.  You two go ahead and enjoy your visit.”

            Pharrell found a couple of folding chairs and brought them over.  He put one down for Adam directly next to the bed, and set his own a bit farther back.

            Adam sat down with a sigh and turned his attention back to the man on the bed.  “Um, hi,” he began.

            “Hi!”

            “Listen, I know it probably won’t mean anything to you, now that, you know, your head is all messed up,” he began, “but I wanted to thank you.  You really saved my life, man.  I was trapped and terrified I was about to die. But then you came along like a gift from God!  So, for what it’s worth, thank you so much.  I wish I could repay you.”  He paused.  “Do you even know what I’m talking about?  Do you remember last night?”

            “You’re not gonna die, buddy,” Doe said.  “Hang on, I’ll get you out.  There.  See?  You’re fine!”

            Adam blinked.  “Yeah, that is actually pretty much how it went last night!”

            “Like a gift from God.”

            “Exactly!”  Adam shook his head.  “Man, I know you don’t have any idea what you’re actually saying, but somehow, for the most part, it seems to fit.  It’s almost like you do understand.”

            “You do understand.”  The blue eyes were serious as Doe reached out and took Adam’s hand.  “I’m asking for some basic human decency.”

            “That more of what you said last night?” Pharrell asked quietly.

            “Yeah, it is,” Adam said, his eyes locked on Doe.  “But dude?”

            “Yeah, I know.  But Adam, parrots can do the same sort of thing,” Pharrell reminded him.  “It doesn’t mean he understands, ok?”

            “I know, I know.”  Adam chuckled, looking at his hand in Doe’s.  “You probably can’t tell me what your name is, can you?  No?  Do you even have a name?”

            “No idea.”  Doe squeezed Adam’s hand.  “Tell me what your name is.”

            “I’m Adam,” Adam replied automatically.  “Adam Levine.  This is my friend, Pharrell Williams.”

            Doe’s smile grew wider.  “Rockstar Adam Levine!”

            Adam laughed.  “Dude, I wish!  That would make my life so much easier.  I’d have a car and a place to live, my own cheesecake whenever I wanted it, and wouldn’t have to worry about what the hell my bitch of a boss is going to make me do come Monday!”  Adam rubbed at his temples, wincing.

            “You know, you are in the hospital,” Pharrell pointed out.  “Maybe ask someone about those headaches?”

            “It’s a headache, Pharrell,” Adam grumbled.  “It’s not going to kill me.”

            “Going to kill me,” Doe said, suddenly looking serious.  “Don’t want to die like this!”

            “Dude, why do you keep saying that?” Adam sighed.  “You’re not going to die!”

            But when the strange man in the hospital gown squeezed his hand and Adam looked into his eyes, Adam thought he saw fear.  “Please get me out,” Doe pleaded.  “I’m trapped!  Please help me?”

            Adam and Pharrell exchanged a look.  “He has no idea what he’s saying, remember?” Pharrell said.

            “But what if he does?” Adam asked.  “What if, whatever’s wrong with him, he can’t pull the words on his own, but he knows what they mean and he’s trying to tell us something?”

            “You do understand,” Doe said.  “He’s trying to tell us something!”

            Adam and Pharrell looked at Doe, and then back at each other.  “Adam, what are you thinking about?” Pharrell asked.  “This guy clearly has some major neurological issues here.  He needs skilled care, medical care that you can’t provide!  What are you going to do?  Take him back to your motel room?”

            “I don’t know, but I can’t leave him here alone!  What if he freaks out and they have to tie him down again?  I can’t let that happen!  Besides, he might have gotten hurt in the same accident I was in!  Maybe he was walking nearby when that, whatever it was that destroyed my place, when it happened?  He saved my life, Pharrell!  Don’t I owe him something for that?”  Adam shrugged.  “I just want to help him.  Is that so bad?  So, yeah, I’ll take him with me once he’s discharged.”

            “Thank you so much,” Doe said, smiling again.  “I wish I could repay you.” 

            “Adam, he’s hurt!” Pharrell pointed out.  “You can’t just decide to take him out!  They’re not going to just let him go home with you!”

            There was a soft knock on the door.  “Excuse me?” a blonde woman called.  “Hi.  I’m Shakira Ripoll, the hospital social worker.  Just call me Shakira.  Do you know our John Doe?”

            “We’ve met, but I don’t know his real name or anything,” Adam replied.

            “Did I just hear you talking about taking him when he’s discharged?”

            “I’m willing, sure,” Adam said.

            Pharrell made a face, but said nothing.

            “Well, you’re the first person that he’s reacted positively to,” Shakira said.  “The doctor was actually talking about a 302, an involuntary psychiatric commitment, if he didn’t calm soon.  If there was some way of proving that he consents to going with you...?”

            Doe held up their clasped hands.  “Is that so bad?” he called.

            Shakira blinked.  “Oh!  Mr. Doe, I’m sorry, I hadn’t realized you’d recovered!  And I have to say, it’s nice to see you not restrained or fighting with everyone.  I was very concerned!”  She came in and readied her pen over her clipboard.  “Can you tell me your name?”

            “That would make my life so much easier,” Doe said solemnly.  “I’d have a car and a place to live, my own cheesecake whenever I wanted it.”

            “Oh, I’m sorry.  And I can sympathize with the cheesecake part.  It’s one of my vices, too,” she said, scribbling.  “So, no memory of your name?”

            “No.”

            “Well, that is certainly unfortunate, but the doctors here could tell you that it might just take time,” she soothed.  She smiled at him.  “Mr. Doe, the staff says that you’ve suffered a rather severe closed head injury.  Now, the doctor can explain it better, but he’s dealing with an emergency right now, so suffice to say, it’s caused when the brain impacts the inside of the skull, causing injury.  It can heal, in time, but it’s the reason why you had so much trouble before, and why you can’t remember your name.  Now, we’ve been monitoring you, and your brain is showing no sign of swelling, which surprised everyone, apparently.  Bottom line, you’ve got a long road to recovery ahead of you.  But you’re medically cleared for discharge.  Like I said, the talk was towards a 302.  You were so violent that we were just about to make arrangements to send you to mental health, actually.  So I’m glad your Rockstar came when he did!”

            “Like a gift from God,” Doe intoned.

            “Precisely!  If you’d like to get dressed, I’ll send the staff in with your discharge paperwork.  Then you can go home with him.”  She turned her smile on Adam.  “Mr. Levine?  Thank you.  You’re doing a great thing!”

            “Least I could do,” Adam said cautiously.  “He saved my life when we met.”

            Pharrell held his tongue until she’d gone.  Then he took a deep breath, about to speak.  But Adam held up a hand.  “I know, I know, but I’m sorry, you heard all that!  They were about to send him to the nut house, Pharrell.  He doesn’t belong there!  Besides, can you really honestly tell me that you don’t believe he understands what he’s saying?”

            Pharrell ground his teeth.  Then he turned to Mr. Doe.  “Ok, buddy.  Do you or do you not understand what you’re saying?”

            “Yeah,” Doe said.  “I’ll take him with me once he’s discharged.  For what it’s worth, thank you!”

            Adam gave him a smug smile.  “Any questions?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mr. Fun still thinks Christina is a bitch, and was mad she took Adam's cheesecake. Caught on rather quickly to the fact that Blake has echolalia (although he didn't know the term for it). Is very amused at the idea of Adam taking care of a six foot five guy with brain damage. He also believes, as Adam does, that Blake does understand what he's saying.


	4. Roomies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adam takes the stranger home and quickly discovers that he's got his hands full

            “Ok, quick tour,” Adam said when he and Doe arrived in Adam’s motel room.  “Main room, twin beds, boob tube.  There’s the fridge, there’s the microwave, and there’s the box of ramen noodles that is pretty much our sole source of sustenance once the casseroles and potato salad are gone.  Maybe I can get us something more now we have this money.  Anyway, bathroom’s that way.  Tall as you are, if you lay down on the floor, you’ll probably take up the entire room.  But I guess beggars can’t be choosers, right?”

            “Right?”

            “Right.  So, this bed is mine, that one’s yours.  We’ll have to swing by a Big and Tall and see about getting you some clothes, too.  I’ll end up maxing out my emergency credit card, so be it.  Not like you can run around naked, is it?”

            “You can run around naked.”

            “Thanks, I’ll pass.  But I am getting naked, because I’m calling first dibs on the shower.”  He directed Doe to the bed he’d assigned to him and held up the remote control.  “You know what this is?”

            Doe frowned at it in confusion.

            “Guess not.  Alright, this runs the TV.”  He put the remote in Doe’s hand and went over the buttons.

            Doe got the hang of channel surfing quickly.  Satisfied, Adam patted him on the back.  “You watch some TV while I get a shower.  Then you can get one, and we can both call it a night.  I don’t know about you, but I’m beat.  I know you just got out of a bed, but hey, at least you won’t be tied down to this one, right?”

            “Right?”  Doe smiled.  “Boob tube.  Beggars can’t be choosers.”

            Adam chuckled, patted his back again.  Then he went for his shower.

            A short time later, Adam came back out wearing fresh underwear and a t-shirt and found Doe watching, of all things, Nascar.  His eyes were fixed on the screen, watching as cars drove around in a circle.  Adam never could figure out the appeal.  If he wanted to watch cars drive, he could look out the window, and the constant prattle of the thick southern accents grated annoyingly on his ears.  “Oh, here comes a turn!” Adam called, imitating the accents.  “And another turn!  Yee haw, it’s another turn!  Don’t know how y’all can watch this crap, but my theory is hypnosis.  The cars constantly running around and around in a circle just puts everyone into a stupor.  It’s the only explanation!”

            Doe’s eyebrows shot up.  He tilted his head towards Adam, and then tilted his head at the TV.  “Yee haw!”

            Adam laughed.  “Hey, I was thinking, we should come up with something to call you besides John Doe, buddy, dude, or hey you.  You got anything in mind?”

            “No idea,” Doe said.

            “Ok, then if you don’t mind, I’ll try to come up with a suitable name for you while you’re in the shower, and you can decide if you like it or not.  Ok?  Now go get a shower.”

            “Ok!”  Doe didn’t move.

            Adam blinked in confusion.  Then he quietly got up, led Doe into the bathroom, and went over the basics of showering and brushing teeth using the toothbrush from the desk clerk when they’d returned.  To be safe, he explained toilet use and hygiene as well.  Adam wasn’t sure if Doe understood what to do or not, but shortly after he’d stepped out, Adam heard the shower turn on and the sound of splashing.  Well, hopefully his new pet giant would figure it out.

            Adam sat down with the phone book and began leafing through.  He started with the yellow pages, looking through business names.  “Shelton Master Plumber.”  Yeah, Adam had no idea what nationality it was, but Doe looked like he could potentially be a Shelton.  Now he flipped through the white pages.  This part was harder.  Adam frowned and thought, risking giving himself another headache as he pieced names together.  Finally he closed his eyes, held the book spine down between his hands, and let it drop and fall open on the floor.  Then he picked the first name he saw as he heard the bathroom door open.  “Blake Shelton,” Adam called.  “How’s that sound for a name for you?”

            “Ok!”

            “Great!  Ok, Blake, let’s…”  Adam looked up and his voice trailed off.  Apparently, he’d forgotten a few important details in his instruction.  Blake was standing, dripping wet, in the middle of the hotel room wearing only a smile.  Adam forgot how to talk for a moment as all the blood left his brain.

            “Rockstar Adam Levine,” Blake said fondly.

            “Um, Blake?” Adam managed.  “You’re getting the carpet all wet.  Go back into the bathroom and rub yourself dry with one of those big towels, alright?”

            “Alright.”  Blake turned around.  He had, Adam discovered, one of the best asses Adam had ever seen.  It flexed nicely as Blake walked.

            Suddenly, Adam’s underpants felt way too tight.  “Hey Blake, once you dry yourself off with the towel, put your underwear back on!” he yelled, silently scolding his growing erection.  “We’ll get you some clothes tomorrow.  Meanwhile I’m going to bed.”  _Where I will probably dream about those glutes all night.  Perfect,_ he thought to himself.  _First night as this guy’s guardian, and all I can do is stay under the covers to disguise the fact that I’ve got a raging hard-on over how fine his ass is.  At this rate, this is going to be a very long weekend!_

            Then naturally, Blake returned and immediately starting climbing into bed with Adam.  “No, Blake!  Not with me, you’ve got your own bed!  You go over to that bed there.  That’s it, just pull down the covers and climb in.”  He sighed, seeing Blake starting to burrow headfirst under the covers.  “No, not headfirst, turn around and put your feet in!  You want your head on the pillow, like I am, see?  No, don’t come back over here, go back to your bed and…  There, now you’re getting it!  Ok, I’m turning off the light.  Good night!”

            “Good night!” called a cheerful voice from the darkness.

            Having Blake try to climb into bed with him followed by the view he’d provided when he’d tried to climb headfirst under the blankets had done nothing to help Adam’s situation.  He lay in his bed with his back to Blake, trying and failing to stop thinking about the ridiculously handsome man lying only a few feet away from him while his heartrate and genitals returned to baseline.

            What a life.

****

            Adam spent a restless night and woke up cranky.  But Blake, apparently, was a morning person.  He was seated on the other bed staring and smiling happily at Adam when Adam opened his eyes.  “Dude, that is creepy,” he called.

            “Creepy dude.”

            “Yes, you are a very creepy dude.”  Adam groaned, rubbed at his eyes, and got up.  “You know how to make coffee, Blake?  No, of course not, you don’t even know how to take a shit, why would you know how to make coffee?  Ugh, I need a pick-me-up so bad!”

            “Pick me up!”  Suddenly, Blake’s arms were around his middle, and Adam’s feet were off the floor.

            “No no!  Do not do that!  Put me down, Blake!  Thank you.”  Adam shook his head.  “You know, it’s like you understand English, but you don’t always understand the subtle meanings of words.  What I am looking for here is something that will help me wake up, like coffee.  You know, a pick-me-up?”

            “Pick me up!”  Once again, Blake wrapped his arms around Adam and lifted the smaller man off of the ground.

            “Dammit, Blake!”  Adam squirmed.  “Ok, note to self, mind what you say.  Blake?  Do not pick me up.  You shouldn’t put your hands on other people, buddy.  Nine times out of ten, if someone says they need a pick-me-up, they are not asking for you to literally pick them up.  If I’m ever asking you to literally pick me up, I’ll say, ‘Blake, please pick me up.’  But I cannot imagine myself ever doing that.  I cannot think of a single instance where picking me up would be a good thing.  So unless you are sure it’s a good thing, do not pick me up.  Now please put me down.”

            Still smiling, Blake lowered Adam again.  Adam didn’t say a word.  He moved to the tiny coffee maker in the hotel room and started enough for two cups.  Then he got into the fridge, took out a small carton of coffee creamer he’d stolen from work, and picked up the disposable coffee cups.  Soon, the coffee was ready.  Adam poured creamer, stirred, and handed one to his giant charge.  “Now be careful with this,” he warned.  “It is going to be hot.  Just take a sip, like this, see?”  Adam sipped his coffee.

            Blake sipped at his coffee and made a face.  Scowling, he handed it back to Adam.

            “Ok, not a coffee drinker,” Adam noted.  He put the cup down and rooted in the fridge.  Then he heard the sound of gulping and looked up to see Blake downing the last of the creamer.  He sighed.  “Blake, we need to set some ground rules here, ok?  Rule number one, do not eat or drink anything unless I tell you it’s ok.”

            “It’s ok.”

            “No, it’s not, because now I have to steal some more creamer from work and Alice is going to be pissed again.  Not to mention that was non-dairy creamer and God alone knows what’s going to happen the next time you take a shit.”

            “Shit.”

            “Exactly.”  Adam sipped at his coffee.  “Rule number two, it is generally not a good idea to go out of a room while you’re naked, ok?  Always put clothes on before you go through a door.”

            “Dude, that is creepy.  Not like you can run around naked, is it?  It is generally not a good idea.”

            Adam couldn’t help but smile.  “Blake, this is going to sound weird, because I barely know you and you’re going to be a huge pain in the ass until you get your brain unscrambled, but honestly I think you’re about the only good thing in my life right now, besides Pharrell.”

            “Pick-me-up Blake Shelton,” Blake said.

            Adam tensed, but Blake made no movement towards him.  “Huh,” he mused.  “You got the literal and the implied meaning of that, didn’t you?  Clever guy!”  He took another sip of his coffee and went back into the fridge.  “Ok, I got beer, that’s the breakfast of champions right there.  No milk, and you just drank the creamer.  I got some casserole varieties, potato salad, no cheesecake, thank you very much, Christina, you bitch…”

            “My own cheesecake whenever I wanted it.  Now I have to steal some more.  Shit.”

            Adam burst out laughing.  “Jenny is going to bitch me out for teaching you four letter words, but what the hell, man, you can sling ‘em like a champ!”  He frowned and stood up.  “One thing I don’t get, though.  What’s with the accent?  You sounded normal when you talked before, but now you sound like a southern hick!”

            Blake pointed at the TV.  “Yee haw, it’s another turn!”

            Adam groaned.  “Of all the things to pick up from TV, you picked a hick accent?  You did that because I was imitating it, didn’t you?”

            “Right!”

            “Well, I suppose it could be worse.  Blake Shelton, giant hick.  It kind of suits you, to be honest.  We’re totally getting you a cowboy hat, dude.”  He picked up the envelope of money.  “It’s amazing how generous people can be.  Let’s get something to eat, then we’ll start searching for clothes that fit your big country ass.”

           Blake grinned.  “Big country Blake Shelton, totally getting you a cowboy hat, dude!”

            “Exactly.”

            The two of them swung by a fast food joint, where Adam ordered them breakfast burritos.  The lady behind the counter was making moon eyes at Blake, who ignored her to focus on eating.  Adam had never seen anyone so intent on chewing and swallowing a burrito before.  He rarely saw someone enjoy cheap fast food as much as Blake clearly was.  His eyes were shining and his dimples were prominent as he smiled between bites.  The counter lady giggled and gave Blake a second burrito on the house, for which Adam thanked her profusely.  Blake thanked her around a mouthful of food, which seemed to take away some of his appeal for her until she heard Adam explain that this wasn’t proper manners.  “Oh, is he from out of the country?”

            “Big country!” Blake called, this time swallowing before speaking.

            “He’s got a head injury,” Adam explained.  “Really scrambled his brains.  I’m looking after him for now.  Poor guy has no idea who he is, only owns the clothes on his back.  I was just about to take him shopping to at least rectify that.  Wish I could get him more than a couple of outfits, but clothing in his size is probably going to cost me a pretty penny!”

            “Oh!  Well, you’re in luck!”  She pointed down the street.  “About two blocks down, there’s a thrift shop.  I happen to know that my boss recently gave them a whole bunch of her son’s old clothes after he went to college.  I remember because we were joking about how big her son is, and how they’d never find anyone who could wear them.  But your friend certainly could!  Isn’t that amazing, how that just worked out?”

            “Like a gift from God,” Blake intoned.

            Adam shook his head, thanked her, and set off for the thrift shop.

            The clothes were mostly denims and flannels, but they seemed to suit Blake.  A surprising amount of it fit.  Adam was delighted with how little he had to spend to get his friend several sets of clothes.  There was even a cowboy hat, which made Adam laugh as he purchased it and set it neatly onto Blake’s head.  Then he popped into a dollar store, purchased some socks and underwear, and Blake was set for clothing.  Adam grabbed a few other essentials while he was there and was grinning like a fool as he exited with his purchases.

            “I cannot believe our luck, buddy!” Adam crowed as they returned to the hotel room.  “Normally, I’m about the unluckiest guy on the planet, but today was just amazing!  We got you clothes, and we still have enough money left over to get some groceries!”  He chuckled.  “You know, I can’t help but be worried what’s going to happen when the other shoe drops.”

            There was a knock at the door.  Adam opened it to discover two uniformed police officers.  “Adam Levine?” one asked.

            “Yes?”

            “Would you come with us, please?  It’s about the incident involving your vehicle and apartment building.”

            Adam kicked himself for opening his mouth.  “What’s going on?”

            “Don’t ask us, buddy, we’re just here to pick you up.”

            “No no!  Do not do that!”  Suddenly Blake’s arms were protectively around Adam.  He scowled at the officers over Adam’s shoulder.  “Listen, moron, I’m not a terrorist and this wasn’t a bomb!”

            The officers gave Blake a sharp look.  Then their eyes returned to Adam.

            Adam gave them a weak grin.  “He’s been drinking!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mr. Fun laughed very hard at this chapter


	5. The Goon Squad

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adam starts to realize there's way more to Blake than he knew, and other parties have taken an interest

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, that bumper sticker is real, and yes, I have one on my car.  
> https://www.baxterboo.com/p.cfm/bone-magnet-i-love-big-mutts?gclid=CJ-J5p792tMCFc-FswodDXUAiw  
> What can I say?

            Adam sat on a hard chair in an uncomfortable interview room.  Across from him sat a couple of stern-looking men in suits.  One was Caucasian, had dark hair and blue eyes, and went by the name of Agent Carson Daly.  The other was African American with dark eyes and short-cropped hair and was called Agent Usher Raymond.  At least they were both nice to look at, especially Agent Raymond.  But neither was particularly friendly.

            Of course, it didn’t help that Blake had come perilously close to getting into a fight with the police who’d come to collect Adam.  Once Blake had his arms around Adam, he’d refused to let him go.  Adam finally understood why his new friend had been sedated and restrained back at the hospital.  Apparently, Adam was the only one he trusted, and the big man was like an over-protective guard dog.  Blake had held Adam tightly and all but growled at the officers.  The police had been getting more and more alarmed and irritated while Adam had visions of them both being tasered, handcuffed, and tossed into a cell.  But somehow, Adam had been able to convince his new pet sasquatch that it was fine for him to go with the police, he’d be alright, and would return soon.  That, and physically prying off Blake’s arms, had gotten Blake to finally let him go and stop giving threatening looks to the police officers, but he hadn’t looked like he’d really believed it.  Adam hadn’t really believed it, either.  But at least he’d kept Blake from outright attacking the officers.  Otherwise, Adam suspected they’d both be on their way to an Undisclosed Location right now.

            Blake had looked like an abandoned orphan as he’d stood at the doorway, watching as Adam went down the hall with the officers.  When Adam had looked back, just before stepping into the elevator, Blake had his fists clenched and looked almost ready to cry.  “Go back in the room, Blake!” Adam ordered.  “Lock the door and stay there and just wait for me!”

            At first, Adam thought Blake would come charging down the hall after him.  But instead, the big man’s shoulders slumped, his head dropped, and he turned and went back into the room.

            Adam found himself slinking out like a deadbeat dad leaving his child behind.  Guilt weighed heavily on his shoulders.

            The two goons across from him now were certainly looking at him like a guilty man.  On the way in, Adam had noticed the black SUV with the bone-shaped bumper sticker that read “I heart big mutts (and I cannot lie).”  Apparently, one of these guys was affectionate about oversized canines.  It had given him a bit of hope that he might be facing someone with at least a sense of humor.  But being a dog lover didn’t seem to make either man any friendlier. 

            It seemed Homeland Security was very interested in what had happened at his apartment.  These two agents obviously believed Adam had answers.  Unfortunately, Adam wasn’t able to offer much information.  “I was sound asleep, and then there was this big explosion and I ended up trapped under my bed,” he said again. 

            “Your neighbor, a Jeff Gold?” Agent Daly asked.  He’d done almost all of the talking so far.  “He told us that you were part of a terrorist cell.  He said the explosion came from a bomb you were keeping in your car.”

            “My neighbor, Jeff Gold, is an idiot and a douchebag,” Adam informed him.  “I couldn’t keep my window open in good weather because I’d get high off of the smoke from all the crack that moron did.  He also sings on a regular basis, and I’ve heard better singing from fighting tom cats.  If you haven’t guessed, we do not get along.  Just last month, he left a bag of flaming dog shit on my doorstep after I threw a rotten egg at his radiator when he dinged my car with his door.  We had words, we got into a fist fight, I beat the shit out of him, and he’s hated me ever since.  That asshole was filming it while I nearly died in a fire.  I’m not part of any terrorist cell, and I most certainly did not keep a bomb in my car.  Don’t you think that would have been pretty stupid?  When whatever it was went boom, I was nearly killed!”

            “What about your other neighbors, on the other side?” Daly asked.

            “Cynthia is a slut who got drunk and came onto me, so her boyfriend Tim decided to fight with me.  I didn’t want to deal with it, so I locked myself in my apartment, called the cops on Tim and let them deal with him.  He happened to be stoned when they got there, took a swing at them, and ended up doing a little time.  Tim and Cynthia somehow decided it was all my fault, so now they hate me just as much as Jeff.  Why, did they tell you I was a terrorist, too?”

            “Actually, they alluded that you were an actor in low-budget porno films.”

            “I fucking love my neighbors,” Adam sighed.  “Bottom line is, I really do not get along with anyone, alright?  I think at some point or another I have managed to piss off every person living in that building plus my landlord.  I know that fucker was always hoping I’d be late with the rent so he could toss me out.  But none of that applies here.  As I have already told you several times, I did not see anything.  I was sound asleep until I got trapped under my bed, just like I told you.”

            “And you were rescued by a passing stranger?”

            Adam nodded.  “Thank God!  None of my asshole neighbors even bothered to check on me.  Mr. Doe happened to be passing by and helped me.”

            “Mr. Doe?”

            “Yeah, John Doe.  That’s what they called him at the hospital.  He ended up with a head injury, because he was close to the explosion,” Adam explained.  “Poor guy was a wreck at the hospital.  But he didn’t see anything, either.  He was just passing by, and the explosion happened behind him.  That’s why he got his brains rattled, but otherwise nothing more than a few cuts and bruises.”  Adam was aware that he had no way to know this, but he didn’t want them talking to Blake.  Adam had little doubt that the police had passed along Blake’s comment when they’d picked him up.  God alone knew what the unpredictable giant would say if this goon squad interviewed him.

            But apparently, Agent Daly wasn’t going to let it drop.  “And where is this John Doe now?”

            “I’m sorry, but what, exactly, does the guy who saved my life have to do with what happened to my car and apartment?”

            “That is precisely what we are trying to find out.”  Daly scribbled something in his notebook.  “Would you mind answering the question, please?”

            “Yes, actually I would, because I have no fucking idea where Mr. Doe is now!” Adam lied.  “I’m not the guy’s babysitter.  He probably went back home.”

            “According to the hospital, Mr. Doe checked out with you,” Daly pointed out.

            “The guy saved my life, so I gave him a hand.  He checked out of the hospital, and then shortly after, walked out the door.  Said he’d remembered where he lived and was going home.  He didn’t leave me any of his information.  I haven’t seen him since.”

            “Now, that’s interesting,” Agent Raymond called, finally looking up from his notes.  “The officers who picked you up described another man with you that matches Doe’s description.”

            “You mean the tall hot guy in my motel room?  That’s Blake Shelton.  He’s my boyfriend.”  Adam was almost surprised at how easily that particular lie came from his lips.  “We’ve been apart from each other for a while, and just recently got back together.  That’s why he was so edgy when the cops came to take me.  We’re real close.  Plus, he was pretty drunk, and we’d just been talking about the explosion.  He had it in his head that someone set off a bomb that caused that mess at my apartment.  That’s why he said what he did.”

            “I see.  What’s his name again?”

            “Blake Shelton, S-H-E-L-T-O-N.  And he’s taken, so don’t get any ideas.  You know, those cops interrupted something good when they came knocking.  I was about to comfort him, you know?  Seriously, can’t a guy get laid once in a while without Homeland Security showing up to give me blue balls?”  Adam was sure they didn’t believe him, but right now he didn’t care.  When he got anxious, his mouth tended to develop verbal diarrhea.  _Stop talking, idiot!_ he ordered himself.  _The more you say, the more they have to check out, and the deeper the shit you’re in!_   Meanwhile, his heart was pounding, and his head had once again started to ache.  He rubbed at his temples.  “Is there anything useful that I can tell you guys?  My head’s killing me, and my boyfriend is going to be worried sick.”

            “Do you have any idea what might have caused the explosion?” Daly asked.

            “None whatsoever.  Can I go now?”

            The two suited men exchanged a look.  Then Agent Raymond leaned forward.  “I think it’s time we were honest with you,” he began.

            “Oh, what a welcome change!”

            “The man you know as John Doe is actually a known spy with connections to a terrorist group,” he explained.  “His real name is James Graham.  He worked with the CIA in the top secret weapons division.  And when he left, he stole a prototype of a new type of weapon, one that is capable of doing tremendous amounts of damage to inorganic material while sparing organic.  That is why both you and he survived largely unscathed when the weapon self-destructed.”

            Adam blinked.  “What?  You’re telling me that the guy who saved my life did that after he set off the bomb that nearly got me killed in the first place?”

            “He didn’t set it off.  The weapon Mr. Graham stole was programmed to self-destruct in the event it was stolen, something Mr. Graham should have known about.  We’re fortunate that he either didn’t know, or simply was unfortunate in where it went off.  Had that happened in, say, a crowded subway station, the results could have been catastrophic.”

            “As it stands, the office has its hands full to contain this,” Daly added.  “I don’t want to frighten you, but that was not the only item of interest Mr. Graham stole.  While he has no personal history of violence, he is a part of a radical terrorist cell.  Until now, he was primarily involved in passing along information.  We’re not sure why he suddenly moved to stealing top-secret prototypes.”

            “But we’d certainly like to find out,” Raymond confirmed.  “Once we capture him, he can give us information on the rest of the cell.  With your help, it’s possible we could prevent another Oklahoma City or 9/11.”

            “Oh, man!”  Adam rubbed at his temples.  “This is just too much.  I need to get back to my motel!  What if this Graham guy comes back and hurts Blake?  I gotta get back and make sure he’s alright!”

            Daly raised an eyebrow.  “I’m sure your boyfriend is fine, Mr. Levine.  But now you understand how important it is that you contact us immediately if Mr. Graham should contact you again.”

            “He comes anywhere near us, I’ll be on the phone,” Adam assured.  “Do you guys have cards or something?  Thanks,” he said, accepting them.  He rubbed again at his head.  “Ugh, here comes another migraine.  Do you think you can get one of those cops to take me back to my motel, or else call me a cab or something?  I just need to see Blake, make sure he’s alright!”

            “Of course.”  The agents actually looked concerned.  Adam got up, swayed, and had to clutch the table for support.  Daly frowned at him.  “You sure you don’t want a doctor?”

            “I’ll be fine,” Adam groaned.  He wished he’d been acting, but for a moment there, he’d suddenly felt weak.  He’d actually been in real danger of falling flat on his face.  He forced a reassuring smile.  “I get these stupid things all the time.  Who do I talk to about getting that ride back?”

****

            “Blake!” Adam yelled as he burst through the motel room door.

            Blake promptly scooped him into a tight hug that made Adam’s ribs creak.  “Rockstar!  I can’t help but be worried what’s going to happen!”  He pulled back, his blue eyes full of concern as he looked at Adam.  “I was terrified!”

            “I’m ok, buddy,” Adam assured.  “But we need to pack up and move on.  We still got a little money left, and there’s a no-tell motel a couple blocks down.  That’s where we’re headed.  It means we gotta pay instead of the Red Cross, but at least Homeland Security won’t be able to track us easily.  Grab your shit and let’s vacate the premises, ok?”

            Blake didn’t seem to understand, but when Adam obtained some garbage bags from a housekeeper and started throwing belongings into them, Blake did the same.  Blake’s long arms proved useful for carrying multiple bags.  Adam quickly checked them out, and the two hiked rapidly down the street to the new motel.

            Before long, the two of them were safely in the motel.  It was one of the few places left that still let you pay with cash and didn’t require a credit card or photo ID.  Naturally, it catered to some seedy customers.

            As soon as they were in the room, Adam sat Blake down to talk to him.  “Listen, big guy,” he began, “there are some real lowlifes around here!  You need to be very careful.  The door stays locked at all times, ok?  And do not go outside without me!  I know it means I’m locking you in again, but it can’t be helped.  Hopefully we won’t be here long.  I’ll figure something out.  But I want you to stay inside with the door locked unless I take you out.  You got it?”

            Blake listened with a serious expression and then nodded.  Adam hoped he’d understood.

            Adam hated to subject a delivery person to the motel, but he saw no other choice.  The few containers he’d been able to find at work that could fit into his tiny motel refrigerator contained some casserole and potato salad, but it wasn’t enough for two, especially not with Blake’s appetite.  Fortunately, the pizza arrived without incident.  Adam sat down with Blake to eat.  Once again, Blake seemed to immensely enjoy the food, quickly polishing off half the pie, as well as most of the side orders and the Pepsi Adam had ordered.  When Blake suddenly belched, his face took on such a comical expression of surprise that Adam nearly choked laughing.  “Dude, it’s like you’ve never eaten before!”

            “Never eaten before,” Blake parroted.  His eyes were on his stomach, gazing down with an expression of wonder.

            Adam snorted.  “Come on, man, of course you’ve eaten before.  You didn’t get that big through photosynthesis!  Someone taught you how to feed yourself!”

            “Rockstar Adam Levine.”

            Adam paused.  Since he’d lost all his dishes and silverware, everything that he’d fed Blake so far had been finger food, like the breakfast burrito and the pizza.  It made him think.  Adam got up, pulled the container of potato salad out of the fridge, and grabbed one of the plastic spoons he’d picked up at the dollar store when he’d gotten socks and underwear for Blake.  He handed both to Blake.  “Here,” he urged.  “Try this.”

            He hadn’t been sure what to expect.  At best, Blake would eat normally.  At worst, he’d dig out a handful of potato salad and make a mess.  So he was completely unprepared when Blake, without hesitation, [took a big bite of the plastic spoon](https://funtimewriter.tumblr.com/post/160612457182/artwork-for-it-never-rains).

            “Whoa!  Spit it out!  Here, into the trash, that’s it.  Here, lemme see.  Open your mouth.”  Adam inspected Blake’s mouth, but fortunately saw no signs of bleeding.  He sighed in relief.  “Dammit, Blake, that was not food!  Spoons are to eat food with.”  He sighed, noting the sad look Blake was giving him.  “Dude, I didn’t trick you on purpose, ok?  I needed to see how much you understood about silverware.  Apparently, nothing at all.”

            Adam produced another spoon and showed Blake the basics of eating with a spoon.  Blake promptly devoured the potato salad.  Adam shook his head.  “And people say I have a big appetite!  You must have hollow legs or something!”

            Blake only belched again, patted his extended stomach, and groaned.

            “Yeah, you definitely ate too much, buddy.  Just lie still for a bit.  You’ll feel better before too long.”

            While Blake digested, Adam cleaned up.  Then he produced a deck of cards.  “Ok, I’m going to teach you a game called ‘Go Fish.’”

            Blake was, apparently, completely illiterate.  In the end, he had to have Blake show him the card he was looking for, and show his own in return.  But Blake could match the cards and caught on quickly to the game.  He played with his usual happy smile.  Adam soon found himself enjoying the game like he never had before.  Through the eyes of his brain damaged, amnesiac friend, everything was shiny and new.  Besides, Blake took so much pleasure out of learning new things that it was impossible not to get caught up in his enthusiasm.

            Then Adam sobered.  “Hey, Blake?” he called.  “Is your name maybe Graham?  James Graham?”

            “No idea,” Blake said.

            “Yeah, I guess we’d have no way to really know,” Adam confessed.  “But honestly, I’m leaning pretty hard towards no.  Got a queen?”  He showed the card.

            “Go fish.”

            Adam selected a new card and added it to his hand.  “You want to know why those cops picked me up?” he asked.  “It was because a couple of goons from Homeland Security wanted to talk to me.  But honestly, they did not seem all that interested in the explosion.  Your turn, by the way.”  He looked at the card Blake showed him.  “That’s a three.”

            “Got a three?”

            Adam handed the card over and scowled as Blake laid down his cards.  “You win again.  Whatever.  Anyway, the Homeland Security goons had me tell them the story, sure.  And my asshole neighbor told them I was a terrorist.  Remind me to punch him if we ever see him again.”

            “Alright!”

            “But you know, I got the feeling pretty quick that the only thing they were really interested in was you.”

            “Big Country Blake Shelton?”  Blake looked serious.

            “Yes and no.  I fed them some lines of crap, buddy, because I didn’t trust them.  And it turns out, I was right not to.”  Adam relayed the story he’d been told, about how James Graham had stolen a top-secret prototype weapon.  “You know, the more I think about it, the more it pisses me off,” he growled.  “Those guys really seemed to think I was a complete idiot.  I mean, first of all, how can anything only affect non-organic material?  And that was a lie right there.  Whatever that was that exploded that night, it not only flattened my car and destroyed my building, but it also snapped off trees and hedges.  Those are organic material!  So right there, they were lying!  Then there’s the fact that ground zero was obviously my car.  So unless that magic bomb went off when you, for some mysterious reason, put it on top of my car, that’s another hole in their theory.  Plus, that was no explosion.  I saw no scorch marks, no heat damage, and no fire except from the one in my apartment from my stove.  So sorry, I’m not buying what they’re selling.  That leaves me to wonder what they’re really after.  They fed me this crock of crap story and threw in that you had other weapons specifically because they wanted me to tell them if I saw you again.  So clearly, they’re really after you, Blake.  But why?”  He leaned forward.  “Blake, do you remember who you are, what you did before we met?”

            Blake nodded.

            “Great!” Adam whooped.  He ran for a pen and paper and thrust them at Blake.  “Ok, write it down, or draw a picture, and we’ll try to figure it out.”

            Blake appeared puzzled.  Adam put the pen in his hand and showed him how it could write.  Then Blake quickly began to draw.  His drawing was crude, little more than stick figures.  But as Adam watched, he could make out two figures standing next to each other holding hands.  Blake tapped his pen on one figure and pointed at Adam.  Then he tapped the other and pointed at himself.

            “I’m sorry, buddy, but I don’t understand,” Adam sighed.  “Your job is, what, crossing guard?”

            Blake looked frustrated.  He got up, took Adam’s hand, and led him forward towards the bed.

            Adam eyed the bed.  “You’re part of an escort service?”

            Blake brightened.  “Blake Shelton, escort service!”

            “Whoa, I was joking!”  Adam’s eyes were very wide.  “Seriously?  You’re a male escort?  Not something I really saw myself finding out about you, but I guess I can kind of see that.  I mean, you’re damned good-looking, buddy, and you were dressed pretty nice when we met.  But, what, do you think one of your clients is upset with you or something?”

            Blake shook his head.  Once again, he looked frustrated.  His blue eyes pleaded with Adam.  He took Adam’s hand again and led him around, doing a circle of the entire room.

            “Sorry, man,” Adam sighed again.  “I wish I understood what you’re trying to say.  If I knew what the connection was…?”

            “Escort,” Blake insisted.

            Adam shrugged.  “What the hell, it’s a living, right?  It’s not something you want to hear when you’re on a date, walking hand in hand through soft moonlight, ‘Hey, by the way, I’m a male escort!’  But I’m not going to judge you.  Unfortunately, it doesn’t help much in figuring out why these guys are after you.  I guess I need to keep talking to you, give you more words to give you a hand.”  He frowned.  “Hold on.  That’s another thing that confuses me.  Why is it that you’re only picking up things from me?  You watched TV and picked up that damned southern accent.  But why aren’t you picking up words from anyone or anything but me?”

            “Big Country Blake Shelton escort Rockstar Adam Levine,” Blake said.

            “Dude, please don’t say that,” Adam begged.  “I already told you that you were good-looking, and I guess this is the part where I tell you I’m also bisexual.  Now, I won’t make a move on you or anything, and I hope to God you’re not a homophobe, but my hormones are bad enough without you announcing you’re here as my escort, ok?”

            Blake looked disappointed.  “Don’t say that.  I’m not going to judge you.  Honestly, I think you’re about the only good thing in my life right now.”

            Even though, intellectually, Adam knew that Blake was only parroting his own words back at him as always, Adam felt a warm glow spread over him.  “I love you, man.”

            Blake smiled.  “I love you, Adam Levine.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mr. Fun thinks Carson and Usher are full of shit and they're after Blake for another reason


	6. Male Bonding Rituals

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adam spends some quality time with Blake

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Got both diegetic and non-diegetic music for this chapter!
> 
> "You're The Inspiration" - Chicago  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6c64iU7Lpo
> 
> "Dust In The Wind" - Kansas Original is here:  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0zSB2WEtwU  
> But for this piece, I imagine Adam playing this while he sings:  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6caUN3HLJSI
> 
> Song I was listening to for this chapter (non-diegetic, obviously) was "Glory of Love" by Peter Cetera  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axSlMfTaiJQ

            Adam was taking the trash out to the big dumpster behind the motel when he realized someone had come up behind him.  As bad as the neighborhood and the people who stayed here were, he’d been watchful and had quickly taken note of the other man.  But he hadn’t expected to be approached.  Adam rolled his eyes.  “Jeff, you asshole!  I cannot believe that you reported me as a terrorist to homeland security!  New low, man.”

            “What the fuck are you doing out here, Levine?”

            “I’m going grocery shopping,” Adam retorted, tossing his trash into the dumpster and turning to face his former neighbor.  “What do you think, Jeff, should I get the hamburger tonight or the chicken?”

            “You always were a smartass.”  Jeff was in Adam’s face.  “You know, I lost damned near everything I owned!”

            “I’m so glad to hear that, Jeff.  Until now, I’d been thinking I missed you somehow.  Look, asshole, I lost everything, too!  Why the hell do you think I’m out here?”

            “I thought maybe you were out here with your fellow terrorists.”  Jeff sniffed in disdain.  “The Red Cross put you up somewhere else.  I’m the only one who decided to come here, and on my own, I might add.”

            “Based on the smell coming off of you, it’s pretty clear why.  Wouldn’t want the Red Cross to know you’re a crackhead, would we now?  Would you get out of my face?  You’re obviously high again, and your breath stinks.”

            Jeff’s nose was inches from Adam’s.  “I’m watching you, freak.”

            “Why, you expecting me to put on a juggling act?”  Adam didn’t back down.  “Jeff, if you want another good ass kicking, these are new sneakers.  Say the word, motherfucker, or better yet, keep in my face.  No one gets this close unless they’re planning to kiss me.  You looking for a date?”

            Jeff shoved him.

            Adam promptly laid him out flat.  “You stupid son of a bitch!” Adam snapped.  “I’ve got two inches on you and you’re stoned again.  This dance is going to end the same way the last one did, and while that might be satisfying short term, I honestly am not in the mood.”

            “Hey, asshole?”

            Adam looked back in time to catch a fist in the face.  Great.  Jeff was out here with his bandmates.  “Aw, isn’t this cute?” he groaned as the three men came stalking around the dumpster.  “Four on one, you guys are real tough!”

            “Maybe you should have thought of that before you decided to punch our lead singer!”

            “See?” Jeff called, getting to his feet.  “No one messes with Ochre Three!”

            “You know, I never did get that,” Adam complained, rubbing at his jaw and eyeing the four men as they cornered him.  “Who the hell names their band after a color?  And there’s four of you!  Can’t you count?”

            Adam expected the blow, but it still hurt.  He sighed.  He’d warned Blake about the type of clients this particular motel catered to.  Getting attacked had always been a real possibility, but how ironic that his attacker would be the guy he used to live next to?  “Alright,” he called.  “Let’s get this over with.”  Keeping low, he charged Jeff.  Adam knew he was about to get a beating.  He could handle Jeff well enough, but he certainly couldn’t take on four guys.  But at least he got a few good hits in on Jeff before his bandmates dragged him off.

            To Adam’s surprise, the other three didn’t start whaling on him.  Instead, one grabbed each of his arms while the third hooked his arms under Adam’s shoulders and laced his fingers behind Adam’s neck.  “Oh, this is bullshit!” he yelled as Jeff moved to the front of him.  “Really, Jeff?  You’re gonna have your asshole friends hold me while you beat me up?  This what it takes to get your dick hard?”

            That earned him a punch in the mouth.  Furious, Adam threw himself backwards into the jerk behind him, kicking at Jeff with both feet.  Jeff gave a satisfying grunt as Adam’s new sneakers landed hard in his gut, knocking him flat on his back again.  “Son of a bitch!” Jeff called.  “Can’t you hold this bastard?”

            “Dude, just beat the hell out of him and let’s get back to practice!” the man on Adam’s right arm yelled.  “Besides, if you think you can hold this squirming worm, get over here and let me kick his ass!”

            Adam was indeed a squirming worm.  Outnumbered or not, he was determined not to go down without a fight.  “Fucking let go of me!” he yelled.  “I will take on all four of you shitheads!”

            “Hold him,” Jeff called.  “You’ve had it, Levine!  I…”

            Jeff’s words ended in a startled croak as a pair of hands suddenly closed on the front of his shirt and lifted him up into the air.  With a snarl, Blake lifted him up off of his feet and heaved, sending Jeff flying through the air to land noisily in the dumpster.  Before he’d even landed, Blake had grabbed the guy on Adam’s left arm by the hair.  He gave a sharp yank.  The man gave out a high-pitched yelp, immediately let go, and went stumbling back into the side of the dumpster.  His head impacted with a low thud.

            The remaining two let go of Adam, facing off with the violent giant who had apparently appeared out of nowhere.  Adam immediately started in on the guy on his right.  “You wanted to kick my ass?  Here I am, bitch!  Blake, be careful!”

            But Blake had already finished with Adam’s last tormentor.  The big man moved with unexpected speed, dragging the final man off of Adam.  Three quick jabs took the fight out of him.  Then Blake grabbed his collar with one hand and his belt in the other and sent him flying into the dumpster.

            Adam shook his head.  “Geez!  All I was doing was taking out the trash!  Thanks, buddy.”  He looked around, and then looked at the dumpster.  Suspicious groaning sounds were coming from it.  “Blake, did you throw all four of those guys into this dumpster?”

            “All I was doing was taking out the trash,” Blake told him, straight-faced.

            Adam laughed.  Then he moved to the dumpster and pounded on it with the side of his fist.  “Hey assholes!  Everyone alive in there?”

            Groans and curses echoed from the fragrant dumpster.

            “You guys need an ambulance or anything?”

            “Fuck you, Levine!”

            “Hey, Jeff, sounds like you’re doing fine, and you probably smell better than your breath did earlier.  Probably some rats in there, see any of your relatives?”

            Loud cursing.

            “Well, if you guys are alright, then my not so little friend and I are going to head back in,” Adam called cheerfully.  “Do all six of us a favor and don’t try that shit again, ok?  And remember, even though you fuckers jumped me, I had the decency to make sure you were alright.”

            More cursing.

            “Your gratitude is touching.  Later!”  He clapped Blake on the shoulder and the two went back inside.

            Once they were safely in their room, Adam burst out laughing.  “Oh man!  I thought I was in for a beating for sure, and then you came along out of the blue!  How the hell did you even know I needed help?"

            Smiling, Blake pointed out the window.  Adam looked, and sure enough, the dumpster was visible.  Jeff and his bandmates were still in the process of climbing out.  Adam laughed again, shaking his head.  “So, what, you watched me through the window?”

            “There are some real lowlifes around here,” Blake told him.  “You need to be very careful.”

            Adam was touched.  “Thanks, man.  Wish I knew what I did to deserve a treasure like you in my life!  If you hadn’t had your eyes on me, well, I’d probably be in pretty bad shape about now.  Not to mention, not to creep you out or anything, but that was sexy as hell, man!  You kicked the shit out of those assholes!  Where’d you learn to fight?”

            Blake only smiled.

****

            Adam spent almost every minute with Blake.  The big man rarely spoke, and when he did, he still only parroted something Adam had said before.  But he seemed to have an amazing memory, pulling up words Adam had said and stringing them together into sentences that were mostly coherent and got across what he wanted to say. 

            Adam had introduced Blake to beer.  At first, Blake hadn’t seemed overly impressed.  But he’d kept sipping at his bottle, and before long, he was taking long drinks.  Now the two of them were sitting at the table in the cheap motel room, playing cards and drinking.  “Ok, let’s go over the order one more time,” Adam instructed.  He pointed out the cards he’d placed on the table in front of Blake.  “Ace, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, jack, queen, king, and…?”

            “Ace!”

            “You got it!  Now remember, even though the ace can come after the king or before the two, you can’t make a run that goes king, ace, two.  Got it?”

            “Got it!”

            Adam had decided to move into adult games and was trying to teach Blake how to play canasta.  Showing Blake how to keep score proved impossible, but the big man learned the basics of the game quickly.  After an hour or so of Adam’s patient instruction, he rarely made a mistake.  He quietly played, saying little.  Mostly, Blake just listened.  And that, Adam quickly discovered, was exactly what he needed.

            Before long, Adam was telling his new friend his entire life story.  “I dropped out of school my final semester, right before I would have gotten my MBA,” he explained.  “Before that, I’d been valedictorian of my high school.  You know that smart nerdy scrawny kid that everyone picks on?  Yeah, that was me.  From just out of grammar school on through almost to my junior year, I was the guy the jocks threw into the pool or locked in my locker.  They used to knock the books out of my hands, trip me in the halls, shove me into the girls’ bathroom, give me swirlies, you know, where they hold you upside down and dunk your head into a toilet and flush it?  Yeah, that was popular.  And about once a month or so, they’d beat the hell out of me.  Now, I will admit that I have always had a smart mouth, and I never could keep it shut to save my life.  But near as I could tell, I rarely did anything to provoke them when they beat me.  Usually I’d be minding my own business, and I’d pass a group of them, and they’d start following me.  At first, I tried to run, but they were jocks, after all, so they always caught me.  Then they claimed I was getting it worse because I ran.  Nice, huh?  Especially when, the one time I didn’t run, it was just as bad or worse.  Only difference was, since I didn’t run, they spread the word that I liked it.”  He looked his cards over again and discarded.  “Your turn, buddy.”

            Blake was frowning as he watched Adam.  He turned his attention to his cards and picked up the discard deck.  Adam groaned.  “Dammit, I froze that pile, Blake!  And you have four sixes already down.  You still got a pair of sixes in your hand that you can pick it up?”

            Blake calmly produced the cards and Adam sighed.  “Great.  I just gave you a natural canasta.  You are either a master at strategy, or you have the best beginner’s luck.  Whatever.  Where was I?  Yeah, my fun at school.  Problem was, when I got into trouble at school, I got into more trouble at home.  Dad wasn’t abusive or anything, but he was damned quick with that belt of his.  And Mom was all about lecturing me.  So I’d end up soaking wet or late and get in trouble, then I’d come home and have a lecture and a belting waiting for me.  Life was grand.”  He sighed, watching as Blake laid card after card down in front of himself.  “You are going to stomp me.  Look at you racking up the points!”

            Blake only smiled.

            Adam shook his head.  “Anyway, the bullies backed off of me about the time I became a junior.  Then my problem was that a lot of the girls that they’d dated all this time suddenly noticed me.  I guess that was when I filled out a bit, and the girls decided I was cute.  So then I got beat up a few times because some girl was chasing after me, but it wasn’t anything like it was.  The girls kind of got together and started protecting me.”

            That made Blake smile wider.  He discarded and gestured to Adam.

            “It also helped that I was willing to tutor them,” Adam added, drawing his cards.  “First it was just girls, then some of those same jocks who used to pound on me came for help so they could keep playing.  So by the time I entered my senior year, no one messed with me anymore.  In fact, I started getting in trouble because I was hanging out with the wrong crowd.  Mom and Dad hated most of my friends, and even though I was six feet tall before I graduated high school, Dad still took his belt to me, especially when I made the mistake of coming home drunk late at night.  But I straightened out after that, didn’t go to the parties anymore, and kept my nose clean.”

            Adam laid out several cards from his hand and finished his turn.  “When I went to college, I was worried the whole thing would start again, you know, the bullying?  But I actually fit in there.  I did really well, Blake.  The whole way through, I was on dean’s list.  I was at the top of my class when I dropped out.  Now, you’re probably thinking, ‘Adam, if you were doing so well, why’d you drop out?’  Well, Blake, it was simple, and the oldest reason in the book.  To put it simply, I did it for a woman.  Behati was her name.  She was a model, had a little portfolio and everything, but she’d never really made it big.  Then one day, she came pounding on my door with a contract from this big agency here in New York.  And just like that, I dropped out of school and packed my bags.”

            “As you can probably imagine, my parents were pretty devastated.  Mom cried and said I couldn’t trust Behati, that she’d use and abuse me and then break my heart.  And my dad?”  Adam chuckled.  “Well, my dad did not take it well at all.  I was twenty-one by then, and I didn’t believe he’d take his belt to me again, but he did.  Didn’t know the old geezer had it in him.  He pushed me down on my bed, held me with a knee in my back, and beat my ass so bad with that damned belt of his that I was sore for days!  Then, I believe his exact words were, ‘Adam, if you do something this stupid, if you walk away from everything you’ve accomplished to run clear across the country with your bimbo girlfriend, then don’t come back when it doesn’t work out because you will not be welcome.’  Harsh, huh?”

            “Harsh,” Blake agreed.  His blue eyes were solemn as they moved between Adam’s face and the cards.

            "But you know, even that didn’t get through to me,” Adam continued.  “Blake, I was so much in love.  It was like, Heaven’s smiling down on us, you know?  We had it all and nothing could ruin our happiness.  And we had so many plans!  Get this, buddy.  She needed to move out here to New York to be closer to her agency.  But we could only scrape together enough money for one plane ticket.  So she took the plane.  A few days before she left, she went to about a half dozen goodbye parties with all her friends.  And meanwhile, I dropped out of school, packed both of our bags, and drove clear across the country to meet her at the airport when she landed.  Then I drove us both to this tiny efficiency apartment, the one I was living in when you saved me, actually.  I never did move out of it.  At the time, it was all we could afford, but we never thought we’d stay more than a few months, a year tops.  Never thought I’d be there for three years.”

            Adam frowned at his cards and glanced over at Blake’s hand.  “How many cards you got there, buddy?”

            Blake carefully counted.  “Three,” he announced. 

            Adam eyed the fan of cards Blake was holding.  “Uh, what?”

            “You can’t make a run that goes king, ace, two,” Blake explained.  He carefully pointed at his cards, counting aloud.  “Ace, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, jack, queen, king.  Ace, two, three!  Got it?”

            Adam chuckled.  “Ok, let me do some math, if king is thirteen, then you started over at ace for one, that gives you sixteen cards?  Yeah, that looks about right.  Ok, let me plan some strategy.”  Adam carefully selected his cards and laid them out.

            Blake drew two cards and immediately started playing out cards left and right until he had everything down, putting his final card on the discard pile with a flourish.  Adam scowled.  “Son of a bitch!  Eh, beginner’s luck.”

            Adam added points, figured the score, and scowled at how far behind he was.  He shuffled, dealing out the next hand.  “No more Mr. Nice Guy,” he huffed.  “You’re going down, Shelton!”

            Blake waggled his eyebrows at him.  “You wanted to kick my ass?  Here I am, bitch!”

            “Oh, Shelton talks shit!” Adam exclaimed.  “You’ve had it now, pal.”

            Blake chuckled.  Then he casually laid out his melt.

            Adam stared.  “I’m completely fucked, aren’t I?”

            Blake beamed.

            “Eh, I’m not beat yet.”  Adam drew his cards.  “So, the plan was that I’d go to work and support us both until she got established,” Adam explained, returning to his tale while he sorted.  “Then she’d support me while I finished school and got a job in a big financial corporation.  She was going to be famous, seen on walkways all over the world, grace the cover of every magazine, and be hounded by paparazzi.  Meanwhile, I was going to work my way up to a six figure salary and a corner office.  Blake, we had it all figured out, right?  We’d get married, have 2.5 kids, a dog, and a big house with shining hardwood floors in an exclusive gated community.  I’d be a hotshot executive, and she’d be my model wife.”

            Adam grew silent for a moment, focusing on his turn and taking another drink from his bottle.  His eyes seemed distant, lost in his memories.  Blake grew still, watching him until Adam finally looked up.  “In case you have not figured it out, none of our plans worked out the way we’d thought.  Ironically, the only one of our grand dreams that actually came true was that Behati really did do well for herself as a model.  She’s no Christy Brinkley, but she makes more money than I’ll ever see and she travels all over the world.  Problem was, she did it all without me!”  He shook his head.  “I worked two jobs to support us, Blake, because I believed in us, believed in our dream.  I paid all our bills, my student loans, kept a roof over our heads and food on the table while I gave her anything she wanted.  And then one day I came home from my second job, exhausted from waiting tables and tending bar, and found she’d gone.  She’d taken all her belongings and the better half of mine, and left me nothing but a “Dear John” letter on the table and Bessie, the cheap Wal-Mart guitar she got me for my birthday.  And you know, Blake, this is how stupid I was.  Until then, I had no idea she’d been cheating on me, no idea that anything was wrong.  All this time, I’d been blindly working two jobs, bringing home everything I could to support the two of us, and sacrificed everything to help her with her career.  I used to skip meals and work long stretches of overtime so she could go to the gym and get her hair and nails done.  I even sold the car I drove out here and downgraded to that clunker that got destroyed when we met so she could buy expensive dresses!  And the whole time, she’d been cheating on me with her manager.  But joke’s on him, I guess, because now she’s left him for another manager.  He was the same thing I was, just another step in her ladder.”

            He shrugged.  “So that’s where I am now.  She’s gone, I’m alone, and I traded one job for this current one and got inexplicably fired from the other.  And you know, looking back, I got fired from that other job just about the time that my current boss started asking me for...”

            Adam hesitated, glancing at Blake.  He saw Blake looking at him and suddenly blushed.  “She has me do a lot of extra things for her,” he said vaguely.  “And that started just before I got fired from my bartending job.  And the guy who owns that bar is a client of my company.  You know, it would not surprise me one bit to find out Christina had something to do with it, my being accused of stealing and fired out of the blue.  It’s right up her alley.  She’s my supervisor, and if my current job was my only source of income, well, that would give her a hell of a lot more control over me, wouldn’t it?  And if there’s one thing that bitch loves to do, it’s control me!”

            “Bitch,” Blake commented.

            Adam smiled.  “Christina or Behati?”

            “Christina bitch, Behati bitch,” Blake declared.  “Grab your shit and let’s vacate the premises, ok?”

            “Amen, brother!” Adam cheered, tapping his bottle to Blake’s and taking a drink.  “God knows I could do without either one of those bitches in my life.  But while I’m probably rid of Behati for good, Christina’s still my boss.”

            “Thank you very much, Christina, you bitch.”

            “You said it, buddy.  You want another beer?”

            “The breakfast of champions, right there.”

            Adam laughed and went to fetch the beer.  He handed one to Blake.  “These are the last two, so enjoy ‘em, buddy.  They may be bottom-shelf, but they may as well be champagne to us because they’re all we can afford.”  He sighed.  “I hate to say this, but we’re probably going to have to look into getting you a job of some kind.  I saw a ‘help wanted’ sign at that fast food joint we hit for the breakfast burritos.  You need some work on your math skills, but I’m betting that lady at the counter would be happy to work with you.”  He paused.  “Maybe too happy to work with you?  I guess it’s crazy for me to worry about you, what with you being a male escort and all, but I can’t help it.  I don’t want you to go through what I...  I just don’t want you to have trouble and get stuck in a bad situation.”  He shook his head.  “Forget it.  We’ll find something else.  Although, you can’t read or write, you can barely speak English, and you’ve got no ID.  I have no idea what kind of job you could get, but I’m betting it won’t pay much.”  He straightened, suddenly serious.  “But don’t even think about going back to being a male escort, Blake!  I won’t let you do that.  You will never be bought and sold like that again, do you hear me?  I’ll work three jobs if I have to, before I let that happen!”

            Blake was looking at him, appearing surprised by the emotion in Adam’s voice.  Adam pretended not to notice.  Considering Blake’s past history, sexual harassment in the workplace was probably nothing to him.  But everything in Adam rebelled at the idea of anyone using his friend like that.

            For some reason, Adam found he wasn’t able to talk about what was really happening between him and Christina with Blake.  Before now, he’d never felt embarrassed about it.  He was the one who’d lied on his application and gotten himself into a situation where he could be exploited in the first place.  He was also the one who had initially agreed to a sexual relationship with Christina, knowing full well that it was wrong, illegal, and adultery against the company CEO himself.  He’d kept it under wraps mostly for self-preservation.  Only Pharrell knew, and that was only because Pharrell had taken Adam out for a beer and directly confronted him about it.  Of course, Pharrell had indicated more than once that his relationship with Christina wasn’t a secret among his fellow cubicle dwellers, nor was it the first time she’d done something like this with her young male employees.  Adam wasn’t ashamed, only resigned and irritated.  He was willing to live with and face the consequences of the choices he’d made.

            But Blake was somehow different.  When Blake looked at him, Adam felt as if the handsome stranger was seeing something great, something far better than what Adam saw when he looked in the mirror.  And Adam didn’t want to do anything to disappoint him.  God knew Blake had already seen enough of the shit in Adam’s life.  Somehow, Adam felt that if Blake knew about what he was doing with his boss, it would lessen him in Blake’s eyes, disappoint his friend somehow.  For the first time, Adam felt real shame when he thought about what he’d been doing with Christina, the demands she’d made of him that he’d acquiesced to and what she would no doubt continue to take from him.  Adam had his limits, and Christina had run against them a time or two already.  When she’d somehow found out he was bisexual, for instance, she’d wanted a threesome with a male friend of hers, and Adam had flatly refused.  He’d agreed to have sex with Christina to keep his job and get good raises, but he drew the line at being pimped out to some other guy.  Christina had been furious at being denied.  She’d waved a copy of his college transcript in Adam’s face, threatening to have it sent directly to the CEO.  Fortunately, Adam knew he was a skillful lover.  He’d always been able to divert Christina away from something that made him uncomfortable.  This had been no exception.

            But nothing made him more uncomfortable than the idea Blake would eventually learn that Adam was basically prostituting himself to keep his job.  How ironic, to be worried that a male escort would be upset about something like that.  Adam told himself he was a fool.  But it didn’t change how he felt.  Adam simply could not look at Blake and see a sex worker.  What he saw was closer to an angel in human form.  Adam refused to let that angel be disappointed in the way Adam had sullied himself.

            Blake was still watching him.  Adam decided the silence in the room was deafening and got up, moving to the clock radio.  He switched it on.  Blake perked up when he heard the music and came forward, peering over Adam at the radio.  Adam chuckled and showed Blake how to adjust the volume and the stations.  Blake played happily with the radio for a few minutes before settling on an easy listening station.  It wasn’t Adam’s first choice of music, but Blake seemed to be enjoying it.  His head was tilted to one side as he listened, those amazing blue eyes fixed on the radio, rocking slowly back and forth from one foot to the other in time with the music.

            “Hey, buddy, you know how to dance?” Adam asked.  “What am I saying, of course you don’t.  C’mere, Big Country.”

            When Blake turned towards him, Adam guided the big man’s hands to his waist, while he reached up to put his arms around Blake’s neck.  “Ok, this is how you dance with someone.  You hold onto each other like this.  Then you move with the beat of the music.”  Adam began to move in time with the music.  He let go of Blake’s neck and took the larger man’s hips, guiding Blake to dance and slowly turn.

            As with everything else, Blake caught on quickly.  He held Adam as the smaller man put his arms around his neck again, smiles breaking out on both of their faces.  The two of them slow danced, pausing awkwardly when the song ended.  But fortunately, the station queued up another song.  Blake’s smile returned, and he started dancing again.

            “ _You know our love was meant to be the kind of love that lasts forever.  And I want you here with me, from tonight until the end of time.  You should know, everywhere I go, you’re always on my mind, in my heart, in my soul.”_

            Adam had to remind himself to breathe.  Blake’s unique scent filled his nostrils, smelling of hotel soap and shampoo and beer, and beneath it the musky scent that was simply Blake.  The strong arms around him held him close.  Adam leaned his head against Blake’s shoulder.  His heart quickened.

            _“You’re the meaning in my life, you’re the inspiration!  You bring feeling to my life, you’re the inspiration!  I wanna have you near me, I wanna have you hear me sayin’ no one needs you more than I need you.”_

            Not even Behati had made Adam feel like this.  Dancing in Blake’s arms, Adam felt like the entire world could burn and he would barely notice.  Suddenly, nothing else in his life, not his job or his boss or his miserable financial situation mattered anymore.  The only thing that mattered was that the two of them were here, right now, dancing to this song that somehow put into words what Adam had been feeling since Blake came into his life.

            Adam silently cursed himself.  _Damn you, Adam,_ he thought.  _Here you go,[losing your heart again!](https://funtimewriter.tumblr.com/post/160854882617/rains-artwork-slow-dance)  
_

_“And I know, yes I know that it’s plain to see we’re so in love when we’re together.  Now I know that I need you here with me from tonight until the end of time.  You should know, everywhere I go, you’re always on my mind, in my heart, in my soul.”_

            Blake smiled down at him, raising up one hand to gently stroke Adam’s cheek.  Adam closed his eyes and held onto the hand, leaning into the touch.  He sighed and gave up the fight.  It was too late.  Blake likely didn’t even know what his touch did, but it didn’t matter.  Adam knew he was already lost.

            He’d hoped that, by now, he would have learned not to fall in love.  But somehow, he just couldn’t help it.

            It was absolutely time for a shower when the song ended.  Adam stood under the cold spray and considered his options.  There was no doubt in his mind that if Blake stayed with him, Adam would eventually succumb to temptation.  What would happen then?  Blake had responded so well when Adam had confessed his sexuality.  But did Blake really understand what that meant?

            Then there was the simple fact that his heart kept insisting that Blake not only knew just how attracted Adam was to him, but returned his affection.  Over and over his mind replayed how Blake had touched his cheek when Adam put his head on his shoulder as they danced, how close the big man had held him.  The way Blake’s eyes would watch Adam.  The way Blake smiled. 

            If Blake knew, if he’d understood what Adam really felt, would he stay?  Would he return Adam’s feelings, progress to something more than friends?  Or would he simply turn away in revulsion?  What if Blake simply pushed him away, rebuffed his advances, but remained close to him and stayed friends?  Adam didn’t know if that would be better or worse than being reviled.  He’d had many crushes on other men in his life, but Blake was the first man he’d actually fallen in love with.  Adam hadn’t ever been in a relationship with another man, either.  He didn’t know the protocols.  How, exactly, did you date another man?  Did you buy him flowers?  Take him to dinner and hold hands at a movie?  Mostly, Adam just wanted to do exactly what they’d been doing, sitting around, drinking, playing cards, and shooting the bull until the right moment came and they simply couldn’t keep their hands off of each other.  What kind of lover would Blake be?  Adam would be bottom, he was sure.  But if he was, if he surrendered himself like that, how would Blake handle him?  Would Blake treat him gently, give him time to adjust to the new experience?  Or would he be rough, those big hands holding Adam down as Blake took his pleasure from him?

            Either image sent shivers down his spine. 

            Cold water or no, Adam discovered he had some business to attend to in the shower.  “Blake,” he moaned softly as he finally climaxed.  “Oh, Blake!”

            If Blake had walked in right now, Adam would have found some way to commit ritual seppuku using the tiny bar of hotel soap as a weapon.  But for once, his luck held.  Blake had been waiting, towels and clean clothing under his arm, outside of the bathroom door when Adam emerged.  But if he’d heard anything suspicious, he gave no indication.

            Adam waited until he heard Blake splashing in the shower.  Then he quickly moved to Blake’s bed, picked up the pillow, and held it to his face.  He breathed deeply, taking in every bit of Blake’s scent.  _This has got to be the single creepiest and most pathetic thing you have ever done, Levine,_ he scolded himself.  _If you want a relationship with Blake, you’re going to have to tell him.  But right now, the guy barely knows you!  Enjoy this weekend with him, get through this next week.  Get to know each other, let him heal or at least get more words.  Then next weekend, when the two of you are alone together again, go down to Prosthetics Expo, strap on a set, and find out how Blake feels about the two of you!_

            It was good advice.  Adam replaced Blake’s pillow, carefully fluffing it back to its previous state.  Then he crawled into bed.  He didn’t even have a headache, for a change.  Being with Blake did wonders for his stress level, despite the concern over the state of their relationship.  But that was what having a real, viable plan in mind did.  Adam conveniently ignored the fact that his plan also allowed him to put off the possible bad ending of their friendship and snuggled into his bed.  By the time Blake emerged from his shower, Adam was already asleep.

****

            Adam awoke to the sound of someone gently strumming a guitar.  He opened his eyes and saw Blake, sitting on the other bed, Bessie in his hands.  It was the first time he’d ever seen Blake looking sure of himself as the tall man’s fingers moved on the frets.  Adam didn’t know what song he was playing, but it was beautiful.  Blake’s eyes seemed distant, lost in his memories.  As Adam watched, the big man began to gently hum along to his music.  But he stopped when he saw Adam’s eyes on him.

            “Don’t stop!” Adam pleaded.  “You remembered something!  You can play guitar!”

            Blake smiled.  Then to Adam’s dismay, he slipped the strap over his head and handed Bessie to Adam.  “You can play guitar.”

            “Not as well as you,” Adam said, suddenly shy.

            Blake looked at him, the blue eyes offering encouragement, and Adam finally gave in, slipping the strap over his head.  “I haven’t played in a long time,” he offered by way of apology as his fingers moved to the frets.  “Once upon a time, I even wrote a song or two.  But like I said.  It’s been a long, long time.”

            Adam was hesitant at first, but as his fingers went into the familiar movements, his confidence quickly returned.  Adam had no idea what he was going to play, but a familiar melody rose from Bessie as Adam remembered those times when he’d written songs.  Those happy times, when he was in love and believed that nothing, nothing could ever come between him and Behati.  Avoiding Blake’s eyes, he began to sing.  _“I close my eyes only for a moment, and the moment’s gone.  All my dreams pass before my eyes, a curiosity.  Dust in the wind, all we are is dust in the wind.”_

            The song was one that had a special meaning to Adam at this point in his life, after all he’d lost.  The high key fit his voice well, and Blake, when Adam dared to glance at him, looked enrapt.  Adam smiled, fingers skipping over the frets on the bridge to the final verse.

            _“Now, don’t hang on.  Nothing lasts forever but the Earth and sky.  It slips away and all your money won’t another minute buy!  Dust in the wind, all we are is dust in the wind.  Dust in the wind, everything is dust in the wind.”_

            Adam finished the song, and then simply sat, still and quiet.

            Blake was just as still, staring at Adam with wide, brimming eyes.  The big man trembled, and the tears spilled over to run down his cheeks.  Somehow, Adam’s song seemed to have affected him deeply.

            “Heh.  You liked that, huh?” Adam called.

            Blake only nodded.

            It was just barely light outside.  Adam looked at the clock and saw that it was only six am.  He shook his head.  “Way too early, buddy.  What do you say we put Bessie here away for now?  We’ll get her out another time, maybe jam a bit.  But right now, we both need to go to bed.”

            Adam carefully replaced Bessie in her bag.  Then he turned to his bed.  But suddenly Blake’s arms were around him and Adam’s feet were off the floor.  He squirmed.  “Dammit, Blake, what did I tell you about picking me up?”

            “Unless you are sure it’s a good thing, do not pick me up,” Blake recited.  “Sure it’s a good thing.  Right now, we both need to go to bed.”

            “What are you…  Hey!  Come on, let me go!” 

            Blake had plopped down into his bed, Adam still in his arms.  Adam was just about to start swearing and kicking when Blake’s lips suddenly pressed against the back of his neck.  “I love you, Adam Levine,” Blake said softly.  “I guess it’s crazy for me to worry about you, but I can’t help it.  I just want to help.  Is that so bad?”

            “B-B-Blake?” Adam managed.

            But Blake didn’t answer.  His arms tightened around Adam, and once again, he pressed a kiss against the back of Adam’s neck.  Adam grew still.  His heart was pounding.  But somehow, despite the erotic implications in lying like this with Blake, Adam understood that Blake wasn’t being amorous, but protective.  Something about “Dust In The Wind,” or perhaps the way Adam sang it, had really gotten to the big man.

            Adam relaxed in Blake’s arms, and before he knew it, he was asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mr. Fun tried to groan and roll his eyes and act like he didn't like the romantic bits at the end. He seems to conveniently forget that I fell in love with him when he stood on my dad's deck and serenaded me. Nice try.


	7. A Day In The Life, Take Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adam has a horrible Monday

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song for this chapter (non-diegetic):  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gnrgWgr00k8
> 
> The diegetic music is "Frenzy" by Screamin' Jay Hawkins  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2SWXOBBrZlg

            Adam had spent the entire weekend happily bonding with Blake.  The two had hung out in their motel room, playing cards, playing guitar, and watching bad television while Adam perused the paper and made calls, trying to find them a decent place to stay.  Unfortunately, the only place that seemed reasonable required a five hundred dollar deposit that Adam didn’t have.  The problem was that his current funds would be depleted by Tuesday, but Adam wouldn’t get paid until Friday.  When his alarm went off Monday morning, Adam had to face the uncomfortable reality that he and Blake might very well end up spending time in a homeless shelter after tonight, hoping that the apartment wouldn’t be rented out from under them before Adam got paid Friday.

            Adam spent ten minutes reminding Blake again and again to keep the door locked and not let anyone in who wasn’t Adam or Pharrell.  Blake was sitting sadly on his bed watching him as Adam left.  Walking away was one of the hardest things Adam had ever done.  He couldn’t keep doing this to Blake.  He had to think of something, some way he could avoid constantly leaving Blake locked alone in a cheap hotel room.

            Then he got to work, spotted Christina watching him with a smile on her face, and realized that he had more immediate problems.  “How long are you going to let this go on, buddy?” Pharrell asked him.  Obviously, his friend had also noticed Christina’s look.

            Adam poured himself some coffee and took his time adding creamer to avoid answering.  “What do you want me to do, Pharrell?” he asked finally.  “We’ve been through this.”

            “How the hell do you even get it up when you can’t stand her?”

            “I have an excellent imagination.”  Adam sipped the coffee, hoping the caffeine would help his headache.  Sometimes it did.  But right now, Adam doubted it.  His headache, which had been blessedly absent all weekend, was back with a vengeance.  “Change the subject please?”

            “Fine,” Pharrell sighed.  “How’s John Doe?”

            “Actually, I’ve been calling him Blake.  Blake Shelton.”

            Pharrell stared at him.  “You named him like a pet?”

            “Don’t be an ass.  Who wants to be called John Doe?  Blake is happy, and the name seems to suit him.”  Adam told Pharrell a bit about their weekend as they headed to their cubicles.  Just talking about spending time with Blake lifted Adam’s spirits.

            “So now we know a few things about him,” Pharrell mused.  “He’s got a great memory, he can play guitar, and he can fight.  Interesting combination, although I cannot figure out what it adds up to.  Does he remember anything at all about what he used to do?”

           “Not much,” Adam said.  He hadn’t wanted to tell Pharrell about Blake being a male escort.  Pharrell had an open mind, but he was a family man.  Adam wanted the only two friends he had to like each other, and that meant Pharrell had to get to know Blake before he found out about the big man’s former occupation.

            “Well, bring him over to my place for dinner tonight,” Pharrell invited.  “Jenny and the kids miss you, and I’m sure they’d love to meet, what did you call him, Blaine?”

            “Blake,” Adam corrected.  “I’d love to come to your place tonight, Pharrell, thanks a million!”

            “Hey, no problem.”

            After that, Adam lost himself in his work.  But before he knew it, he heard Christina’s voice on the overhead pager.  “Adam Levine, please report to my office?  Adam Levine, please report to my office.”

            Adam groaned and rubbed at his temples.  Words did not describe how badly he didn’t want to do this.  But there was nothing to be done for it.  He got up without a word and headed to her office.

 

            Christina’s desk was large, mahogany, and cost more than Adam’s last car.  It was also jammed into his ass as Christina shoved him against it, one hand pushing against his chest, the other fumbling with his belt.  Adam’s shirt and tie were already on the desk, but otherwise she appeared to have cleaned it off.  That was, in Adam’s considered opinion, not a good sign, especially not now that her tongue was in his mouth and his hand was in her thong.  Normally by this point, they’d moved to the divan, but they were still at the desk.  “Christina?” he managed between kisses.  “We’re not going to do this on your desk again, are we?  You’ve got a perfectly fine divan right over there.”

            “Nuh uh.  Today, we do whatever I want, and what I want happens right here.”

            Adam had been afraid that she’d have something weird in mind.  Apparently, he was right.  She wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him again.  “Pick me up,” she ordered against his lips.  “I want to wrap my legs around you.”

            Adam sighed and lifted her up, keeping the presence of mind to lift with his knees.  Christina wasn’t big, only about 5’2.  She was curvy in all the right places, and certainly not heavy.  Adam had little trouble picking her up.  But the last thing he needed was to throw his back out.  She didn’t seem to care.  She immediately wrapped her legs around his waist and one arm around his neck.  The other hand grabbed a tight fistful of his hair, holding his mouth against hers as she kissed him again.

            Adam did indeed have an excellent imagination, but it was a shame he had to use it.  There was no doubt that Christina had a body that any heterosexual man would enjoy.  If only she wasn’t such a bitch!  And married.  And his boss.  And the wife of the company CEO.  And currently using her position as his superior to get him to have sex with her when he would rather be in his motel room, in his cubicle, back at the police station, in a train accident, lost in space, anywhere but here!

            Christina pressed against the desk with her legs, raising herself up until she could shove his face into her ample cleavage.  “I’m taking you home with me tonight,” she moaned.  “I want you to stay over for a couple of days while my husband’s away.  I’ll make it so worth your while!”

            Adam’s response was muffled.  He twisted his head free and looked up at her.  “No thank you.  Can we just get this over with so I can go back to work?”

            Her blue eyes grew frosty as she looked down at him.  She climbed down and then pushed hard against Adam’s chest, forcing him back until he was lying back on his elbows on the desk.  He looked around anxiously.  “Uh, what are you doing?”

            “The deal was, you’d do whatever I wanted today,” she purred, rubbing at his chest as she went behind her desk.  “Well, Adam, this is what I want.  Lie back.”

            Uh oh.  Reluctantly lying back on the desk, he eyed her as she rummaged through her purse.  “Um, I don’t suppose we could do whatever it is you wanted to do on the divan?  This desk is really uncomfortable.  And cold.”

            “No.  I already told you, we’re doing this here.”  Producing a key, she locked her desk.  Then she reached into her purse again and took something out.  Adam could hear a rattle as she did something at her desk, out of his sight as he lay on top of it.  And then she took his right arm and pulled it back, up over his head and down out of sight over the edge of the desk.

            When something cold and hard suddenly closed around his wrist, Adam yelped.  “Oh, hell no!”  He tried to pull free, but quickly discovered he was caught.  “Hold it!  Too far!  You are so not handcuffing me, Christina!  Let me go, let’s finish up and I’ll get back to work.”

            Christina scowled like a spoiled child being told she couldn’t have her own way.  “You said that if I left you alone on Friday, today you’d do whatever I wanted,” she reminded.  “Well, this is what I want!”

            Adam jerked on the cuff, but it didn’t budge.  “Come on, let me go!  What the hell did you just cuff me to?”

            “The handle of my desk drawer,” she explained cheerfully.  “And it’s locked, so it’s not moving.  You’re not going anywhere, baby!  I’ve got you right where I want you!”  She reached for his other hand.

            “Quit it!”  Adam held his left hand away.  “Let me go, Christina!  I seriously do not like this, ok?”

            “Whatever.  I.  Wanted,” she stressed.  “That was the deal.  You going to back out now, Levine?  So close to when you’re getting a raise?”

            “Oh, come on, don’t do this to me now!” Adam groaned.  “Can’t we do something else?  Let me go, and I’ll make it up to you.  You know I will!”

            She beckoned with a finger.  “Give me that hand, Adam!”

            Adam cursed under his breath, but reluctantly let her take his free arm.  “I’m telling you, this isn’t going to work,” he warned as she fastened it to the desk drawer.  “I’m not going to be able to give you what you want because I am really not into this!”  He paused as she kissed him again.  Turning his face away, he pulled unhappily on the cuffs.  “Just let me go!  We can go to the divan and I’ll fuck your brains out, ok?  I’ll even go down on you again!  I’m betting I can get at least two orgasms out of you.  What do you say?  Let me go?  Please?”

            But one look at her was enough to tell him that he wasn’t going to get out of this that easily.  Christina was practically purring.  Her eyes were bright as she climbed on top of him on her desk, her hands rubbing up his torso.  “What do I say?  I say that you wanted promoted anyway.  Now you have a desk position!”

            “Oh, ha ha.  Very funny!  Come on, get off of me and let me go!”

            “Oh, I’ll get off, I assure you!”

            He couldn’t say anything after that.  Her lips and tongue were rough with his mouth.  She lay flat against him on the desk, pressing her body to his, one hand clutched again in his hair while the other squeezed his bicep.  Adam suppressed a groan and tried to pull free of the cuffs.  No such luck.  They were securely locked and snug around his wrists, two sets with one cuff on each of his wrists and the remaining cuffs attached to the elaborate brass handle on the top drawer of her fancy desk.  The expensive manufacturing meant that neither the drawer nor the handle gave so much as an inch when he pulled.  To his dismay, he realized that he was stuck until she decided to let him go.  But he’d told her the truth.  He’d never been interested in bondage, especially not being bound himself, and he was acutely uncomfortable.  Having sex with Christina was bad enough.  This was, by far, the worst thing she’d made him do.  Well, not like he could do anything to change it now.  She’d find out soon enough.  Adam resigned himself to get through it, even as he vowed she would never, ever get handcuffs on him again.

            Before long, her hand slipped into his pants and discovered his complete lack of interest.  “Told you,” he called.  “I don’t like this, Christina, and nothing is going to happen until you let me go.  Now will you please get off of me?”

            But oddly enough, she didn’t seem upset.  Smiling like a Cheshire cat, she climbed down off of the desk over his legs, undid his trousers, and took him into her mouth.

            Ok, that was new.  She’d ordered Adam to go down on her many times, but this was the first time he’d been on the receiving end.  Her husband, it seemed, was a lucky man, at least in this aspect.  Christina was skilled, her tongue and lips working expertly up and down his length.  Adam lay back and let it happen.  He still wasn’t happy about being handcuffed and wanted loose, but at least now he was starting to enjoy himself a little.  Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad after all?

            That was when Christina’s intercom went off.  Christina gave a snarl, leaned over Adam and pressed the button.  “Georgia, you know better!” she snapped.  “This had better be good!”

            “Ma’am, your husband is in the building,” Christina’s personal secretary explained.  “He’s on his way up to your office.  In fact, he’s probably there now!”

            A loud knock echoed through the office as Christina and Adam both went pale.  “Oh, shit!” Adam cursed quietly.  He rolled off of the desk, ducking under it as much as he could and tugging at the cuffs.  “Let me go!” he hissed.

            “No time!” she hissed back.  She threw his shirt and tie under the desk with him, quickly straightened her clothing, and ran her fingers through her hair.  Then, to Adam’s horror, she opened the door.

            Adam had seen pictures of CeeLo Green, Christina’s husband and the company CEO, many times before.  The man wasn’t as tall as Adam.  But he was big, easily big enough to pick Adam up and snap him in two like a twig.  As the company CEO, the handsome man’s smiling face was hanging all over the building.  Ironically, one such picture hung directly across from Adam’s cubicle, where he seemed to be smiling at Adam personally.  But Adam was not prepared for how much the man’s presence seemed to fill the room now, even though Adam couldn’t see him.

            As the big man strolled into Christina’s office, Adam was terrified.  The rumors were that CeeLo had worked his way up to his current position from being an ex-gang member.  Once upon a time, he’d been feared on the streets, personally responsible for half a dozen murders and God only knew how many assaults, robberies, and whatever else street thugs did.  The rumor mill had it that he still carried a set of brass knuckles in his pocket, and never went anywhere without his glock.  And everyone agreed that he was completely in love with his notoriously unfaithful wife.  He spoiled Christina shamelessly, lavished her with attention and expensive gifts, and God help anyone who came between them.  The last man rumored to be with Christina before she’d set her sights on Adam had disappeared, never to be seen again.  What would CeeLo do if he looked behind the desk and saw Adam now, handcuffed, topless, and with his fly hanging open, his cock hanging lewdly out and still wet with her saliva?

            He was dead, Adam decided.  He was worse than dead.  They’d find pieces of him all up and down the interstate, wrapped in black plastic bags and tossed out the window as Ceelo drove by, rocking out to gangsta rap.

            “Hey, pretty baby!” CeeLo was cooing.  “Thought I’d surprise you.”

            “You certainly did!” Christina giggled.  “I thought you were leaving for a business meeting?”

            “I still am, but it’s been delayed.  So I get to spend a bit of time with my beautiful wife.”  Kissing sounds.  “I thought I’d show you how much I missed you, and then take you out for dinner.  What do you say?”

            “CeeLo, I have a ton of work!”

            “I have it on good authority that your boss thinks it’s ok.  C’mere!”

            The desk suddenly shook, and Adam couldn’t hold back a short, high-pitched, girlish yelp of terror.  Fortunately, it was hidden beneath Christian’s giggling.  “CeeLo!  You’re crazy!”

            “Yeah, I know it’s tacky to have sex on a desk, but you know your big man needs the room that the divan doesn’t provide,” CeeLo cooed, and Christina giggled again.  “Ooo, you’re wearing those silk thongs I gave you?  How about the lace bra?  Baby, you so fine!”

            “You like what you see, big man?”

            “You kidding me?  Just look at you!  Oh baby girl, you drive this man crazy, just crazy!  Damn, girl, you already wet for daddy?”

            “You know how much you turn me on, big man!” she purred.  “How about we get to that tacky desk sex?”

            “Yeah, pretty lady!  You know what I like!”

            Adam wanted to cry.  He was in complete agreement about sex on a desk being tacky.  Seeing as how he was currently handcuffed to the desk in question, with his randy boss and her murderous husband going at it directly above him, his opinion was only reinforced.  Adam pulled himself back as far under the desk as he possibly could, but his hands were attached to the top desk drawer.  The chains on the cuffs allowed him a few inches of wiggle room, but there was no way to pull his hands out of sight under the desk.  All CeeLo had to do was peer over the desk, and Adam was doomed.  They’d find him in Central Park, sliced and diced like the Black Dahlia.  His mother would cry and wail that she couldn’t even have an open casket at his funeral.

            Adam had been all too aware that Christina was a moaner.  Now he also knew that CeeLo was a yeller.  That was information he’d never wanted to know.  He would gladly drink bleach if it could wash that knowledge from his mind.  His head pounded in time with his racing heart.  Christina’s long blonde curls were practically in Adam’s face as they hung over the edge of the desk.  Then CeeLo’s fingers appeared, curled over the edge of the desk as though reaching for Adam, and he had to bite his lip to keep from screaming in terror.  They would find his bloated, mangled corpse floating in the Hudson.  The cops would shake their heads, even the most seasoned among them feeling slightly ill at the evidence of how Adam had been beaten to death, every bone broken, his entire body one giant bruise.

            The desk shook, the noisy couple above him obviously nearing climax.  Adam closed his eyes and wished he could close his ears.

            “Oh, yes!  Oh baby, that’s my good girl!  Hot damn, you are still the finest piece of ass!  How the hell did I get so lucky?”

            “I’m the lucky one, baby!  Oh, CeeLo!”

            Adam felt like throwing up.  He suppressed a sigh of relief and said a silent prayer of thanks that it was over.

            From behind the desk came the sounds of dressing, punctuated by wet sloppy kisses and giggles.  “Let me take you out and show you what that was worth, pretty lady,” CeeLo said.  “Here, I’ll grab your purse.”

            Adam stared in horror at the purse, lying on the chair a few feet from his face.  If CeeLo came around to get the purse, three was no chance he wouldn’t see Adam.  They’d never find his body.  CeeLo wouldn’t kill him right away.  Instead, he’d beat Adam bloody, tie him up, and then dump him at a construction site where his thug friends would bury Adam alive in concrete.  He’d be sealed forever in the floor of a new dive bar, thrown up and pissed on by unsuspecting drunks on a regular basis.

            “I’ve got it!” Christina called.  She stepped quickly around and picked up her purse, glancing at Adam.

            Adam mouthed “Keys” and mimed turning a key in the lock.  _Give me the damned keys so I can get loose!  Don’t leave me like this!_

            But Christina either didn’t understand, didn’t want to risk pulling handcuff keys out of her purse in front of her husband, or simply didn’t care.  Whatever her reason, she smiled at CeeLo, slipped her purse over her shoulder, and started out.

            A moment later, the lights in her office went out and the door closed.  The sound of the lock clicking shut echoed in the room.

            _Did that bitch seriously just lock me in her soundproof office, to which only she and CeeLo have the key, half naked and still handcuffed to her desk?_

            She had.

            What a life.

****

            Adam’s head throbbed.  He’d tried twisting his hands out of the cuffs and succeeded only in chaffing his skin.  He’d tried prying the handle off the drawer with no luck.  He was so desperate he’d even knocked the desk phone off the hook with his head.  He’d planned to hold a pen in his mouth and use it to call Pharrell.  Pharrell could call security to get the door open, bring some bolt cutters and cut him loose.  The embarrassment of that would be preferable to being trapped here.  But knocking the phone off the hook had also bumped Christina’s cup of pens and pencils off the desk.  That meant Adam had no way to push the buttons.  Mashing at the 0 button with his chin pressed a bunch of buttons at once, and Adam couldn’t reach the hook to try again.  Eventually, it had sounded the off the hook tone and shut off.  Even using Christina’s intercom to call Georgia for help was out, as that had been knocked to the floor while Christina and CeeLo had gone at it on the desk and hadn’t been replaced.  In retrospect, it was amazing the cup of pens and pencils had still been in place.  Frustrated, he’d resorted to jerking with all his strength on the cuffs, ignoring the way the steel dug into his wrists and left marks.  But he couldn’t get away.  He’d wracked his brains, tried everything he could think of, and still he was trapped.  There was nothing he could do except wait for Christina to come back and let him go.

            Unfortunately, that meant he was in for a long wait.

            Adam had quickly discovered that there was no comfortable position when one was handcuffed to a desk.  When the hard floor hurt his butt, he’d gotten up and managed to get into Christina’s chair.  But besides being far too low for his six-foot frame, he couldn’t sit straight on it.  The handcuffs pulled him forward, making his lower back ache.  He tried lying on the desk.  But not only was it hard and uncomfortable, he also felt very exposed, still topless with his trousers opened.  Finally, Adam opted to simply sit behind the desk on the floor, leaning against the drawers with his elbows on his knees to keep the cuffs from digging into his wrists.  No one would ever, ever cuff him again.  If the cops ever tried to arrest him, he’d make sure they shot him instead.  What bondage freaks saw in this was beyond him.

            As the hours crawled by, he sang to himself to keep sane.  He’d gotten through “American Idiot,” dedicating it to himself and changing some key lyrics to remind himself of just how badly he’d fucked up his life to get into his current position, literally and figuratively.  He could not bring himself to feel badly for himself.  Everything that had happened, up to and including getting handcuffed to the desk in his boss’s locked office, was his fault and his alone.  Looking back, he simply could not understand what had gone through his mind when he’d let her lock up his second hand.

            Then again, he’d be just as trapped if she’d left him here caught by just one hand.  He’d been screwed from the moment she’d closed that first cuff around his wrist.  Now there was nothing to do but wait.

            Adam sang along with Screamin’ Jay Hawkins in his head.  _“Watch my eyes when you light them up, bing!  Listen to me whine like a harpsichord.  When you touch me, I warm right up.  I’m in a frenzy, blblblblblblblb!  Blblblblblblah!”_

            He leaned his head wearily against the desk, glanced at the clock, and discovered he’d just passed his third hour trapped in here.  He thumped his head back against the desk in frustration, heedless of the fact that it only made his headache worse and went back to his song.  _“This love gushes from my heart, like water from a spout, pffft!  You build a flame from a tiny spark.  You can really knock me out, yeah!_ ”

            Adam wished someone would knock him out.  He had deep red marks on his wrists from struggling with the cuffs that would likely bruise.  How he was going to explain that to Blake and Pharrell, he had no idea.  Pharrell, he sure, would never, ever let him live this down.  He couldn’t imagine what Blake would think of the whole thing.  But he didn’t see any alternative to telling him the truth about his relationship with his boss now.  Well, the two of them were going to eat dinner at Pharrell’s tonight anyway.  Adam supposed that was as good a time as any to spill his guts and bear the shame.

            _“Fill my mind with your real cool lines, daddy!  Fill my soul with love divine.  When you say you’re mine, all mine, I’m in a frenzy, blblblblblblblb!”_

            Finally, right when Adam was sure he was about to go insane and start drooling, he heard a key turn in the lock at the door.  He immediately bounced up.  But then, afraid it might be CeeLo, he ducked back down under the desk.  When the light came on and the door closed and locked again, he barely dared to breathe.  But then he heard Christina’s voice.  “Adam?”

            “Oh, thank God!” Adam exclaimed, popping back up.  “Get over here and fucking let me go!”

            “Wow, first time I’ve ever seen you so happy to see me!” she noted as she came over.  She carried a bag in her hand.  A wonderful smell was coming from the bag that made Adam’s stomach growl, reminding him that he’d once again missed lunch. 

            “I’m delighted to see you Christina, because you’ve got the keys to these fucking cuffs!”  Adam jerked on the cuffs.  “I’ve been trapped here for hours.  Hurry up and let me go!”

            She put the bag and her purse on the chair.  Then to Adam’s surprise, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him.  “What are you doing?” Adam demanded, twisting his face away.  “Just let me go already!”

            “We didn’t get to finish,” she told him.

            Adam blinked.  “You are out of your mind if you think...!”

            “I couldn’t stop thinking about you,” she breathed, kissing him again.  “Half naked and trapped here, chained to my desk, helpless, just waiting for me to come back?  I am so turned on right now!  Oh baby, I wish I could keep you chained up like this all the time, it is so fucking hot!”

            He scowled and twisted his head away again.  “Get off of me, Christina!  I cannot believe you left me here like this for over three hours!  Let me go!”

            “Mmm, not just yet!” she called.  She was smiling that Cheshire cat smile again, and the gleam in her eyes as she touched and kissed him made Adam’s heart sink.  “You’re so sexy, baby!  Why don’t you get back up on that desk?”

            “No, dammit, let me go!  There is no way in hell that I am getting back on that desk.  We’re done!  Let me go, and leave me alone!  No job is worth this, I quit!”

            Christina’s eyebrows shot up, but to Adam’s dismay, her smile never faltered.  “Get up on the desk, Adam.  I’ll make it worth your while.”

            “There is nothing that you could offer me that could possibly convince me to get back up on that desk!”

            “You sure about that?”  She indicated the bag.  “I brought you part of my lunch.”

            “Seriously?  You brought me a doggie bag like I’m a pet, and you think that’s going to convince me to get back on your desk?”  Adam laughed.  “I’m hungry, but not that hungry!  Let me go!  At least if I have to go back to waiting tables, I’ll get to eat!”

            She laughed.  “Oh come on, Adam, we both know you’re not quitting!  And I brought you lunch to get you to stop bitching about being hungry.  No, I have another offer for you.”

            Adam eyed her.  “What is it?”

            “This.”  She reached into her purse, produced a wad of bills, and shoved them into Adam’s pocket.  “That’s eight hundred dollars in cash,” she announced.  “I convinced CeeLo to give up one of the cars for charity, as a tax write-off.  I happen to know that it’s going up for auction next week.  However, I made a call.  For five hundred dollars, that car will go to you, free and clear, everything signed over and in your name, no questions asked.  Then you can keep the remaining three hundred as additional compensation.”

            “Seriously?”

            “Mmm hmm!”  She moved closer, ducking between his arms and wrapping her arms around him.  “And all you have to do to earn it is to get back up on that desk and let me do what I want.”

            Adam tugged on the cuffs, frustrated and hating the fact that there was nothing he could do to make her stop touching him.  “Why won’t you just let me go and leave me alone?” he complained.  “I have work to do!  I’ve been trapped in here for over three hours!  What’s everyone going to think?”

            She licked at his ear.  “It’s simple.  You’ll stay in here, just like this, until everyone leaves and we’ll have fun.  I already marked your timecard as leaving early, going home sick.”

            “I’m sick, alright!  Besides, Pharrell’s my ride home!”

            “Don’t worry.  I’ll pay for a cab to take you to the auction house so you can pick up your car.”

            She tried to kiss him again, but Adam turned his head away.  “There is no way I am staying like this for another hour, Christina!  Just fucking let me go!”

            She traced a finger over one of the tattoos on his chest.  “I know you need a car, Adam, and I’m sure you need the money, too.  How about I give you another couple hundred, make it an even thousand, and you have five hundred dollars to keep?  Just get up on the desk!”

            Five hundred dollars?  That was exactly what Adam needed to secure that apartment he'd wanted.  That, and a working car, all but dropped into his lap?  He desperately wanted free from the cuffs, out of the office and away from Christina.  But could he really afford to turn this down?  “Let me get this straight,” he said slowly.  “You want to basically give me lunch, a car, and five hundred dollars.  And in return, I get up on your desk and let you ride me while I’m handcuffed?  Basically, you want me to whore myself out to you in exchange for food, cash, and a car?”

            She smiled.  “And you can call me whatever nasty names you want!  In fact, please do!”  She shivered, her eyes shining as she looked at him.  “I have wanted to do this to you for a long, long time!”

            “You’re such a sick bitch!”

            “There we go!  Get up on the desk, Adam.  I’m really going to enjoy this, and you know you need what I’m offering you.”

            He wasn’t sure if she was referring to her body, or the additional compensation she’d offered.  But unfortunately, he couldn’t argue with the latter.  He sighed deeply.  “Promise you’ll let me go as soon as you’re done, and you’ll never do this to me again?” he asked miserably.

            “Of course I’ll let you go!”  Adam didn’t miss how she neglected to mention anything about not doing this again.  Then he jumped as she slapped his ass.  “On the desk, sexy!  Let’s get busy!  And don’t worry.  I can make sure you’re ready for action.”

            Adam sighed again.  Then he wordlessly climbed back up on the desk.

            What a life.  What a fucking life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mr. Fun laughed so hard at all the ways Adam was thinking CeeLo was going to kill him that he had tears in his eyes. "His life just sucks!" Was disappointed that Adam gave in at the end. Wants something bad to happen to Christina.


	8. Questions Without Answers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adam and Blake have dinner at Pharrell's, and Adam has some explaining to do

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If Pharrell is actually married with kids, I don't know and I don't like poking around in the private lives of actual people. So if there is any resemblance here to RL, it's coincidence. Also, please recognize that the descriptions of the vocalists on the radio here are very much tongue in cheek!

            “Blake, do not touch my presets.”

            “Touch presets!”

            “Ugh, why the hell did I show you how to adjust a radio?  Now look, I’m not telling you again.  Keep your grubby fingers to yourself!”

            Blake, naturally, paid no attention.  He fiddled with the radio in the car, tuning away from the station Adam had been listening to and settling on a country station.  Some overpaid country windbag who was probably dating some blonde was singing a ridiculous song about honey.  Adam glowered at Blake and changed the channel.  Now some oversexualized superstar who was probably married to an underwear model half his age was singing about sugar.  Apparently, it was a day for songs about sweeteners.  Blake turned it back to the country station, where the hillbilly was going through a ridiculous list of matching things to compare to his love.  It made Adam roll his eyes in irritation, and he quickly switched it back.  Now the high falsetto sounded amazingly like someone had just kicked the singer in the groin.  Blake’s eyebrows went up, and he turned it back.  The two fought shamelessly over the radio for a few moments, Blake switching back to the country station and Adam returning it until Adam finally got frustrated and shut the radio off.

            Silence.

            Blake was staring at the marks on Adam’s wrists again.  The big man hadn’t said anything, but with Blake, that didn’t necessarily mean much.  The observant blue eyes had locked onto the marks shortly after Adam came home in their new ride.  When Adam had come back to the room, Blake had been overjoyed, sweeping him into a hug that lifted Adam clear off of his feet and not letting go until Adam started yelling and kicking.  But once he spotted the marks, Blake kept reaching for Adam’s wrists.  Adam kept pulling them away, quickly trying to redirect Blake’s attention elsewhere.  Now Blake was reaching again.

            “Don’t, buddy,” Adam called, pulling his wrist away once more.  “Just leave me alone, ok?”

            Blake remained silent, his eyes on Adam.  Adam focused on driving, careful not to meet his gaze.

            They made a quick stop at the home of their new landlord.  Adam had directed Blake to wait in the car while he handed over the money and got the key to their new apartment.  Then they quickly moved in.  The apartment had a stove and fridge, but otherwise was unfurnished, which was bad news as Adam had lost all of his furniture.  But it was dry, it was warm, and most important, it was Adam’s.  The two of them tossed their bags of belongings into the apartment, reverently hid Bessie in the closet, locked up, and were back in the car for the trip to Pharrell’s.

            Suddenly tired of the awkward silence, Adam reluctantly turned on the radio again.  He switched to an easy listening station, knowing Blake seemed to enjoy that.  It was certainly better than country.  “I want you to listen to how the artists string the lines together in these songs,” he instructed Blake.  “When you write a song, sometimes the lyrics are harder than the melody.  The melody gives you the time, with the beat.  Then you need to try to make the words match that time.  It can be challenging, because you need to find words that not only match up with the melody, but also rhyme.”

            “Rhyme time,” Blake said, looking thoughtful.

            “Very good!  See, that rhymed, when you said ‘rhyme time.’  The words at the end of the phrases, or at least every other phrase, need to sound alike, the way rhyme and time do.  Got it?”

            “Got it.”

            Blake had his head slightly cocked.  Adam was starting to understand more of Blake’s gestures, which he thought of as “Blakeisms.”  This one meant, “I am listening very closely.”  Adam smiled, glad he’d once again managed to distract Blake from the marks on his wrists.  He just wished Pharrell would be that easy.  He was wearing a long sleeved hooded sweater, but his wrists kept peeking out and the marks were very noticeable on his skin.  Sooner or later, Adam was going to have to fess up.  He just hoped Blake wouldn’t be too disappointed in him.

            Pharrell’s house wasn’t far.  Pharrell lived with his wife and three children in half a duplex on a crowded street.  Somehow, he fit a family of five into three rooms.  The house was always crowded, and would be even more so with Blake there, but Adam always felt welcome. 

            His friend was full of compliments about Adam’s car, but he never questioned exactly how Adam had obtained it.  It was one of the reasons Adam considered Pharrell such a good friend.  Somehow, he frequently knew when not to ask questions.  The car was three years old, but in excellent condition, probably better than the one Adam had driven across the country in.  With proper maintenance, Adam believed that it would last a good long time.  Assuming, of course, that no more meteors or top-secret government weapons or God alone knew what else destroyed it.

            It was almost worth the price Adam had paid.

            Meanwhile, Blake had grabbed Pharrell in a bear hug.  “My friend Pharrell Williams!” he announced.

            “Oof!  Hey!” Pharrell squeaked.  “How you doin’ there, Drake?”

            “It’s Blake,” Adam corrected.  “Blake Shelton.”

            Pharrell patted Blake on the back and managed to detangle himself.  “Damn, Adam,” he laughed.  “I still cannot believe you named him!”

            “Still better than John Doe, and it seems to be working out pretty well,” Adam explained as Blake started wandering towards the house.  “He’s still only repeating things I’ve said, but honestly, we’ve been understanding each other fairly well.”

            “Well, that’s good.  So what...”  Pharrell suddenly sucked in his breath.  “Whoa!  Blake, look out!”

            Adam whirled and saw a massive Rottweiler come charging around the car parked in the other driveway of the duplex.  To his horror, it was running straight for Blake, snarling and baring its teeth.  Adam gasped in alarm, but Blake simply turned and smiled at the dog.

            The dog skidded to a halt, cocking its head and raising its ears at Blake.

            Blake knelt down, and the dog got up and padded over.  Its tail wagged as Blake scratched behind its ears.  And then the massive dog rolled over onto its back, whining for its stomach to be scratched.

            “Holy shit!”  It was a very pregnant woman, coming out of the other side of Pharrell’s duplex.  “I’m so sorry!  He got away from me when I was letting him out.  I was on the phone and hadn’t realized people were out here or I would have been more careful.  But I’ve never seen Godzilla act like that with a complete stranger!”

            “Old Godzilla’s tried to tear a piece out of me a time or two,” Pharrell confessed.  “Blake, you work with dogs before?”

            Blake only smiled some more as he rubbed Godzilla’s stomach.  The dog appeared to be in a state of bliss, tongue lolling as it gazed upside-down at Blake in adoration.  Blake rose and gestured towards the pregnant lady, and Godzilla immediately got up and trotted obediently back.

            “Wow, that is amazing!” the woman called.  “You should be a dog trainer, Mr...?”

            “Blake Shelton,” Blake supplied.  He was wearing the cowboy hat today, and he tipped it at the woman.  She seemed almost as smitten with him as her dog.

            Adam chuckled, shaking his head.  “I’m not going to lie, that scared the shit out of me.  First time I met Godzilla, he tried to make a meal of my leg!”  He stepped forward and clapped Blake’s shoulder.  “C’mon, Blake, you charmer!  Let’s see you work your magic on Jenny and the kids!  I’m betting you can’t get Leesha to love you just because you flash your dimples and tip your hat!”

            Pharrell and his wife Jenny had a six year old daughter and two twin eight-year-old boys.  All three children watched, wide-eyed, as the tall stranger walked right up to their mother and pulled her into a bear hug that was just as enthusiastic as the one he’d given Pharrell.

            Adam tensed, but Jenny, apparently, had heard about Blake from Pharrell.  “Oh, what’s he like when he gets to know you?  Honey, it’s not really good manners to just hug strangers,” she explained patiently, laughing as she tapped Blake’s cheek.  “This is what you do.  Hold out your hand like this.  There!  Then we shake hands like this.”  She pumped his hand.  “And you say, ‘Pleased to meet you!’  Can you say that?”

            Blake only smiled, continuing to shake her hand.  Adam recognized another Blakeism, this one meaning “I don’t understand, but I like you anyway.”  Jenny laughed again.  “Ok, that’s enough,” she called, taking her hand away.  “You’ll get it.”

            “Jenny, kids, meet Blake Shelton,” Adam called.  “Blake, this is Pharrell’s wife Jenny, his daughter Leesha, and the boys are Jerome and Paul.  Say, ‘Pleased to meet you,’ Blake!”

            “Pleased to meet you, Blake!”

            That got a laugh from the kids.  Blake’s blue eyes twinkled.  Then he turned back to Jenny and extended his hand again.  “Pleased to meet you, Jenny,” he said.

            Jenny looked delighted, once again shaking his hand.  “Pleased to meet you, too, Blake.  You learn fast, don’t you?” she noted as Blake let go of her hand.

            “Yeah, Big Country here’s not as dumb as he looks,” Adam drawled, winking at the kids.

            Blake rolled his eyes.  “I love you, Rockstar.”

            “Love you too, buddy!”

            “Get in the house, you idiots,” Pharrell called.

            Jenny slipped her arm through Adam’s as they went inside.  “How is he, really?” she asked quietly.

            “Better,” Adam reported.  Jenny was a nurse, and Adam was interested in her opinion.  “He says he remembers who he is, but I haven’t made a lot of progress with figuring out much about his past.  He still doesn’t remember how to write.  He probably can’t read.  I had to teach him how to use silverware to eat, how to bathe, shave, brush his teeth, and yeah, I taught him how to take a shit.”  Adam shook his head.  “It’s like I’m raising a giant baby, Jen.  This amnesia isn’t anything like the movies.  Hell, I’m amazed he knows how to walk!”

            “The brain is a funny thing,” Jenny replied quietly.  “Has he acted like he has headaches?  Slept a lot?  Any nausea?”

            “I actually have no idea how he sleeps,” Adam confessed.  “He’s awake after I fall asleep and awake when I wake up.  Certainly nothing wrong with his appetite, though!”

            “That’s good.  It sounds like his only real problem is his memory, and that’s slowly improving with your help.”

            “One thing that really confuses me.  You know how, earlier, you asked him if he could say ‘Pleased to meet you’ and he wouldn’t until I asked him to say it?  That’s how he is for damned near everything, so far as talking is concerned. He picked up that southern accent from watching Nascar, but only after he heard me imitate it.  And he didn’t seem to pick up any words at all.  The only one he gets words from is me.  Then he strings them together and even, eventually, picks up on the subtler meanings.”  He described what happened when he’d talked about needing coffee as a pick-me-up.

            Jenny snickered.  “I wish I could have seen that, him hefting you around like that!  Must have been pretty funny!”  She suddenly became serious.  “Now are you going to tell me what happened to your wrists?  That something Blake did, too?”

            “No, that was something else, and I’d rather not talk about it.”  All the humor had left Adam’s face as he tugged his sleeves down.

            “Does it have anything to do with that nice car you came over here in?”

            “Jenny, I said I’d rather not talk about it.”

            “Guess that’s my answer.”  She kissed his cheek.  “Go chat with Pharrell.  Dinner’s just about ready.”

            Adam moved into the living area and sat down in the love seat with Pharrell, who handed him a beer.  Blake, it seemed, was a big hit among the kids.  All three were climbing over the big man, who was lying on the floor, laughing as he playfully wrestled with them.  Even Leesha, who was notoriously shy, was laughing and diving on Blake.  She’d already confiscated Blake’s hat, which kept falling into her eyes.

            Blake was a gentle giant.  He rolled over onto his hands and knees.  All three children immediately climbed onto his back.  With a call of “Yee haw!” Blake started crawling, giving a ride to the delighted children.

            Adam chuckled and handed Pharrell a slip of paper.  “Our new address,” he explained.

            Pharrell took it.  “What do you need?  Everything?”

            “Pretty much,” Adam sighed.  “I even lost that TV you gave me, buddy.  Sorry.”

            Pharrell waved off his concern.  “It was a piece of junk anyway, just to tide you over.  I can – Leesha, don’t pull Blake’s hair, girl!  That isn’t nice! - Sorry, I can give you another TV, actually, from the attic.  It was Jenny’s mom’s, until she passed.  I should have given you that one to start, but I forgot about it.  Turns out, that’s a good thing.”

            “Dude, I can’t take anything more from you!” Adam protested.  “You’ve given me so much already!”

            Pharrell shrugged.  “Someone has to watch out for your dumb ass.  Besides, I have an ulterior motive.  I’m going to set it on BBC, so when you come home from work, Blake’s saying ‘cheerio’ and wanting tea.”

            Adam laughed.  “You’re such a dick.”

            “I got an inflatable mattress I can give you, too.  Queen sized.”  He eyed Blake.  “Will that be a problem, the two of you?”

            “For him, I doubt it.  For me, well, I’ll manage.”

            Pharrell lowered his voice.  “He’s a good-looking guy, Adam.  Falling for him, are you?”

            Adam rolled his eyes.  “Past tense, buddy,” he murmured.  “I lost that fight a while back.”

            Pharrell smiled.  “You going to tell him?”

            “Eventually.  Just give him a chance to heal first, before I spring that on him and potentially make things awkward.  He knows I’m bisexual and that didn’t bother him, but finding out I’m smitten with him could be a different story.”

            “Gotcha.”  Pharrell sipped his beer, smiling as Blake mock roared and keeled over to the side, spilling the screaming, laughing children onto the sofa.  “So you went with Her Nibs into her office at lunch today, and you never came out,” he noted, still keeping his voice low.  “Then Mr. Green came in, they both went out, and I never saw you again until now.  So I checked with the timekeeper, and she told me that you’d clocked out and went home early, sick.  Adam, you never call off unless you’re too sick to move, you sure as hell weren’t sick before you went into Mrs. Green’s office, and you’re not sick now!  So what happened?”

            Adam’s face went blank.  “Don’t want to talk about it.”

            “That bad, huh?”

            “Worse.”  He rubbed at his face, looked up again, and was surprised to see the expression on Pharrell’s face.  Quick as a flash, Pharrell seized Adam’s arm and slid his sleeve back.  Then he stared pointedly at the marks on Adam’s wrist.  Adam sighed and pulled his arm away.  “Like I said, I don’t want to talk about it.”

            “Ok, buddy.  I will give you some space now,” Pharrell declared.  “But after dinner?  We’re talking about this.  Because if those marks are what I think they are, things have gotten way past the point where they’re out of hand!”

            “Alright,” Adam sighed.  “After the kids go upstairs.”

            A tiny smiling face, partially hidden under a giant cowboy hat, suddenly peeked up at Adam.  He smiled and pulled Leesha into his lap.  “There’s my girl!” he exclaimed.  “I was starting to think you’d abandoned me for Blake!”

            Leesha giggled, threw her arms around Adam, and kissed his cheek.  Adam got up, tilted the squealing little girl back, making the hat fall off, and planted a noisy, sloppy kiss on her cheek in return.  “My lovely Leesha!” he announced in his best Romantic Hero voice.  “How she takes my breath away!  Marry me, my darling, and live in my castle by the sea!”

            “Only over her father’s dead body,” Pharrell called, grinning.

            She laughed.  “Can Blake come, too?”

            “Of course he can.  He can serve as your noble pony!”

            “Yee haw!” Blake called again.  He was on the floor once more, still wrestling around with the boys.

            “Ok, dinner!” Jenny called.  “Miss Leesha, tell your boyfriend to put you down and give Blake his hat back.  Then everyone get washed up and in the kitchen!”

            “Moms,” Adam sighed, reluctantly putting Leesha down.  “They’re the only thing scarier than dads!”

            Dinner was as delicious as always.  Jenny was a great cook, almost as good as Laverne.  Adam was full of compliments, and Blake echoed them, much to Jenny’s delight.  Blake had also apparently gotten the hang of silverware after Adam’s patient instruction over the weekend.  He still continued his habit of obviously enjoying each bite of food.  Mashed potatoes with melted butter and gravy, it seemed, were a big hit with him.  Blake had four helpings, belched loudly, making the children laugh, and then said “Excuse me” as Adam had instructed him.  Overall, Adam thought the big man did a great job.  To an outside observer, Blake seemed a perfectly normal, if quiet, man, even though he’d retrieved his hat from Leesha and kept it on at the table.  Adam had been too amused to correct him, and no one else did, either.

            After dinner, Jenny went upstairs with the kids to get them ready for bed.  They would watch one of their children’s movies in the twins’ room in their pajamas, leaving the living room open for the adults.  Adam joined Pharrell back on the love seat, each with another beer.  Blake groaned loudly, rubbed his stomach, and collapsed onto the sofa, legs hanging off the edge and an expression of satisfaction on his face.  He accepted a beer from Pharrell and was somehow managing to drink it with his head propped up by the arm rest.  Adam smiled at him, and then stared down at the bottle in his hand.

            “So,” Pharrell began, “are those rope burns on your wrists?  Christina tied you up this time?”

            “Handcuffs,” Adam confessed.  “Not my thing, and absolutely not my idea.  I had no idea she was even going to do it until it was pretty much too late.”

            “Adam, why in the hell would you let her do that to you?”

            “Same reason I let her do everything else that she does to me,” he mumbled to his bottle.  “What would you do, man?  She’s your boss.  She won’t hurt you, but she can certainly fire you, and that gives her all the power.  If you don’t do what she wants, you’re out on the street!  So when someone like that tells you to have sex with her, or to let her jump on you while you’re handcuffed to her desk?  Really, what choice do you have?”

            Adam heard a small noise from across the room, but he refused to look up.  He didn’t want to know how Blake had reacted to what he’d said.  His face was burning in shame.

            “And she made them so tight that they caused marks?”

            Adam shook his head.  “I did that myself.  She cuffed me to her desk and then ended up leaving me there for hours.  I couldn’t stand it and was struggling to get loose.”

            “What the hell, Adam?” Pharrell exclaimed.  “What happened when CeeLo got there?”

            “When he showed up, she’d already cuffed me to her desk, and there wasn’t time for her to let me go,” Adam explained.  He went on, telling Pharrell how he’d hidden under the desk while the two had sex, and how he’d been trapped, handcuffed and locked in her office for hours until she’d returned.  “I just wanted her to let me go,” he confessed.  “But apparently, she wasn’t finished with me yet.  She offered me the car and enough money to put a payment on this new apartment we have if I got back up on that desk and let her...  If I let her.”  He took a long drink.

            “So that’s where the new car and the money for the apartment came from?” Pharrell growled.  “Because after all that, you still got back up on that desk?”

            “Yes, Pharrell, I whored myself out again!” Adam snapped.  “You happy now?”

            “No!”

            Adam and Pharrell looked up, surprised by the venom in Blake’s voice.  The big man was sitting up, clenching his fists, his face flushed with anger.  “Bitch!  She won’t hurt you!”

            “Calm down, buddy,” Adam called.  “This is way too complicated to really explain to you, and you can’t possibly understand it.”

            “She’s your boss,” Blake snarled.  “That gives her all the power.  I’m asking for some basic human decency!”  He looked accusingly at Pharrell.  “Why won’t anyone help?”

            “I want to help him, man,” Pharrell defended, looking uncomfortable.  “God knows I’d love to drag him into HR and file charges, see that bitch walked out for what she does to him.  But Adam has to let me, first.”

            “It’s got nothing to do with Pharrell.  The fact is, I can’t do anything to stop her, Blake!” Adam exclaimed.  “I lied on my application and said I have a degree I don’t have.  If I turn her in, I’ll lose my job, and then we’re out on the street!”

            “You’ll never be out on the street,” Pharrell declared.  “If worst comes to pass, we’ll put Leesha in with the boys and you guys will stay with us.”

            “You’re way too good to me, buddy, and I couldn’t ask that of you,” Adam sighed.  “You’ve got enough with five people in this house.  Seven just isn’t manageable, and you know it.  That’s even assuming your landlord lets it happen!”

            Pharrell shifted uncomfortably, and Adam knew he’d guessed correctly.  He reached over and patted his friend’s hand.  “You’re a great friend, Pharrell.  But the bottom line is, I can’t lose this job.  Even if I don’t end up homeless, I’ll end up trapped in some dead-end minimum wage job, probably two, just to make ends meet!”

            “It’s alright,” Blake assured.  “I’ll figure something out.”

            “Sure, you could get a job, too.  That would help!  What did you do before, Blake?” Pharrell asked.

            Adam’s head shot up in alarm.  But before he could say anything, Blake announced, “Blake Shelton, escort service!”

            Pharrell blinked.  “Um, what?”

            “Yeah, I guess he was a sex worker,” Adam sighed.  “So actually, I’m kind of surprised he’s this upset.  But I’ll find us a nice comfy cardboard box before I let him go back to that!”

            Pharrell was staring at Blake.  “You were a male escort?”

            “What the hell, it’s a living, right?”  Blake’s eyes returned to Adam.  “I was trapped and the apartment was on fire, and I was screaming for help, and no one even thought to make sure I was alright.  Blake Shelton, escort!  Help me, please!  Escort!  Wouldn’t have to worry about what the hell my bitch of a boss is going to make me do.”

            “Ok, he’s no longer making any sense to me,” Pharrell declared.

            “Me, either, unless...”  Adam frowned.  “Blake, go on?”

            Blake rolled his lips into his mouth, thinking hard.  “I was trapped and terrified I was about to die.  You came along like a gift from God.  Escort!  I just wanted her to let me go.  Blake Shelton escort Adam Levine!  No one messed with me anymore.”  He thumped his chest with his fist, his expression serious as he stared hard at Adam.

            “You saved my life when I was in that fire,” Adam said slowly.  “You really were like a gift from God.  No one messed with me anymore...  What, you think you can save me again, protect me from Christina?”

            Blake’s face lit up.  “Blake Shelton protect Adam Levine from bitch Christina!”

            “What, exactly, are you going to do, Blake?” Pharrell wanted to know.  “I’d love to protect him too, but we have to respect Adam’s wishes, even if he is a damned fool.”

            “When someone like that tells you to have sex with her, or to let her jump on you while you’re handcuffed to her desk?  Really, what choice do you have?”  Blake looked disgusted.  “No no!  I won’t let you do that.  You will never be bought and sold like that again, do you hear me?  Blake Shelton protect Adam Levine.  She won’t hurt you!”

            “Blake, buddy, you can’t exactly follow him to work,” Pharrell pointed out.  “Honestly, I’m right there with him, but there isn’t anything I can do.  When she calls him and he goes into that office, the door locks behind him and no one can help him.  It’s soundproof, so even if he was screaming for help...?”

            The look that Blake shot Pharrell was enough to immediately silence the other man.

            Pharrell raised his hands in surrender.  “Ok, calm down, I’m not your enemy here, Blake!”  To Adam, he said, “I think you got a problem here, man.  He talks about being an escort service, but somehow, I don’t think he’s talking about sex work.  I think maybe our overly-tall friend was some sort of security service, man!”

            “Yeah, I kind of get that impression myself,” Adam agreed.  “It explains a hell of a lot, especially the way he acted when the cops came for me...”

            Pharrell sputtered.  “Wait, the cops came for you?”

            “One thing at a time, Pharrell!  As I said, I’m starting to agree that Blake did some sort of security work in the past, and now he’s trying to protect me, and believe me, I’m worried.”  He turned to Blake, who still looked upset.  “Blake, seriously, buddy, I’m alright.  It’s not like you can beat the hell out of my boss, and I wouldn’t want you to.  I appreciate that both you and Pharrell are worried about me.  But you’re both worrying for nothing.  This was the worst thing she ever did to me, and she’s never doing it again.  But she didn’t hold a gun to my head, ok?  No one forced me to climb back up on that desk.  She’s tried to get me to do things before that I didn’t want to do, and when I refused, that was the end of it.  If I had stuck to my guns, she would have let me go.  I let her have her way this time because I needed the car and the money.  But she’s never going to do this shit to me again, ok?”  He sighed.  “Don’t look at me like that, both of you!  In case it’s not painfully obvious by now, my life sucks!  Every single time I have had a chance for something good, it’s been taken away.  Nine times out of ten, the reason it was taken away was because I made a stupid decision.  I am the one who lied on that application, I am the one who agreed to have sex with her that first time rather than face the music, and now I am the one who is dealing with all of this!”

            “It’s your call, Adam," Pharrell sighed.  "I think you need help, but I have no idea what I can do to help you.”

            “I am the one who is dealing with all of this,” Blake called, looking determined.  “Don’t even think about going back.  Never going to do this shit again!  I won’t let you do that!”

            “You better watch him, buddy,” Pharrell said quietly to Adam, holding his bottle up to hide his words from Blake.  “I think he may just try to do something you’ll both regret.”

            “Got it,” Adam mumbled back.

            “Good,” Pharrell said aloud.  “One strange thing, though, to add to all the other strange things about you, Blake.  If you were a security escort, that means you were probably fingerprinted.  So why didn’t anything pop up when they ran your prints at the hospital?”

            “No idea,” Blake declared.

            Pharrell rolled his eyes.  “Naturally.  Now, what is this about the police?”

            By the time Adam finished explaining his encounter with Homeland Security, Jenny had come down, having put the children’s movie on that Leesha and the twins would watch before they went to bed.  Adam only had to repeat Blake’s reaction when the cops arrived.  She listened quietly as he related what he’d been told.

            Immediately, Adam knew he’d probably made a mistake.  No one he’d ever known was a bigger believer in conspiracy theories than Pharrell Williams.  “I’m telling you, the government cannot be trusted!” Pharrell declared.  “I agree that they were feeding you a crock of shit to try to get to Blake, Adam, but you know they have weapons like that!”

            “Here we go,” Jenny sighed.

            “Woman, you do not know!” Pharrell insisted.  “I have books in my library written by ex-CIA, former workers in top secret labs, and a former governor.  The things you do not know could turn your hair white!  If these people are looking for Blake, then there’s got to be a damned good reason.  And that reason is probably whatever he used to do before he saved you, Adam!”

            “On that, at least, we agree,” Jenny said.

            Adam turned to Blake.  “Blake?  Did you provide security services?”

            “Security escort.”  Blake was nodding energetically.  “Christina, you bitch!  Blake Shelton will help rectify that.”

            “Damn, sometimes you string sentences together so well, and other times I can barely figure out what you’re saying,” Adam complained. 

            “Focus, Adam!” Pharrell complained.

            Adam grimaced.  “Ok.  Who did you escort?”

            Blake looked solemnly at him.

            “Of course,” Adam groaned.  “I still don’t understand why, but unless I say it first, he can’t say it.  I should sit down and read him a dictionary or a thesaurus!”

            “Ok, say the following,” Pharrell instructed.  “President, Senator, CIA, FBI...”

            Adam helpfully rattled off the long list that Pharrell came up with, naming every high-ranking government official title and government agency.  But when he asked Blake if he’d escorted anyone with those titles, Blake shook his head no.

            “What about celebrities?” Jenny guessed.

            “Blake, did you escort any celebrities?” Adam asked.

            This time, Blake nodded.

            “Interesting, but why would Homeland Security care about some damned celebrity?” Pharrell scoffed.  “Ask him if he guarded any top-secret labs.”

            “Ask him if it was an actress or actor, or a musician!” Jenny called excitedly.

            Pharrell rolled his eyes.  “Woman, who gives a damn about...?”

            “I do!”  Jenny hurled a pillow at Pharrell.  “If Blake’s the bodyguard of a celebrity, then they’d know who he is.  What if he’s got family?  You saw how good he is with kids, what if he’s got little Blakes running around, missing their daddy?  You damned fool, forget your crazy conspiracy theories and think about Blake!”

            Everyone looked at Blake.  Blake looked solemnly back at them.  Then he yawned widely.

            “Oh, Jennifer, what is wrong with you, girl?” Jenny exclaimed.  “It’s late!  These poor boys are exhausted!” 

            “You two need to spend the night,” Pharrell announced.  “And Adam, we are both calling off sick tomorrow so we can work on this mystery we got here.  You left early sick today anyway, so Ms. Bitch can do without us both tomorrow.”

            “What did that bitch do now?” Jenny exclaimed.  “Adam, is this anything to do with those marks on your wrists?  They looked like rope burns!  She tied you up this time, didn’t she?  And tight enough to leave marks?  I should go out there and claw her damned eyes out!”

            Adam cringed, Blake scowled, and Pharrell groaned.  “I’ll tell you all about it when we lie down, baby.  Leave Adam alone.  The man’s been through enough.  How about you grab them some blankets and pillows while I open up the sofa bed?”

            Adam thanked them, and once again, Blake echoed it.  Then came the uncomfortable realization that both he and Blake would be sharing the sofa bed.  Adam’s mind flashed back to the way Blake had held him Sunday morning, how good it had felt to just lie there in Blake’s arms.  With effort, he kept his face carefully neutral.   When Pharrell and Jenny retired upstairs to their own room, he stripped to his underpants, climbed in and motioned for Blake to climb in next to him.

            Blake, naturally, didn’t care.  He stripped down as well and lay down in the bed close to Adam.  Fortunately for Adam’s sanity, Blake didn’t touch him. 

            Adam was still.  In the light of the street, he could see Blake’s eyes, open and staring at the ceiling.  Seeming to sense Adam’s eyes on him, Blake looked over.

            “Sorry,” Adam apologized.  “Didn’t mean to stare.  It’s just that you’re such a mystery, Blake!”  He chuckled.  “Blake Shelton, keeper of the mysterious.  The more I learn about you, the more questions I have.  No idea how I’m ever going to get to sleep tonight.”

            Blake smiled.  Then he reached over and put his hand over Adam’s eyes.  “Sleep.”

            Adam immediately fell asleep.

****

            Pharrell woke Adam up long enough to call in sick.  Then Adam fell right back to sleep.  Blake, as always, was already awake.  But he remained on the sofa bed next to Adam, and Adam couldn’t remember when he’d slept better.  Lying next to the big man was better, in its own way, than lying next to Behati had been.  It probably helped that Blake was spooning with him, Adam wrapped comfortably and securely in his arms once more.  Adam was so sleepy and content that the implications of this, or Pharrell’s smirk, didn’t sink in.  He continued to snooze until his phone finally woke him up.

            “Hello?” he called sleepily.

            “Mr. Levine?  It’s Shakira, the social worker from the hospital.  How is Mr. Doe?”

            “He’s good.”  Adam rubbed sleep out of his eyes and snuggled back against Blake without thinking.

            “Great!  I have some very good news for you both.  His brother called, and he’s coming here to the hospital in a few hours to collect him!”

            “What?”  Adam was awake now.  He squirmed free from Blake and sat up at the edge of the bed.

            Shakira happily explained.  “Mr. Doe’s real name is Mitchell Shultz.  He works for a very exclusive security company, providing services to wealthy clients.  And I guess they’re good because only the richest and most powerful people use them.  They’re specialist bodyguards, guarding their clients while in transit all over the world.”

            “So, they’re security escorts?” Adam asked slowly.

            “That’s right!  Apparently, that’s what Mitchell was doing when he was attacked, escorting a government scientist who was transporting a top-secret prototype weapon.  It’s all very hush hush, but whatever that scientist had with him is what destroyed your apartment.”

            “I have actually heard a bit of this story,” Adam said weakly.  He was stunned.  He’d been so sure that the Homeland Security goons had been lying to him!  Of course, they’d said that it had been Blake who’d been the scientist, but not even they knew everything.  If Blake was only the security escort, then his company could clear his name, and they could start looking for the real Esau.

            “Really?  I’m glad to hear he’s remembering!  Anyway, his brother, Michael Shultz, has been searching for him ever since the incident.  Now he’s on his way in to pick Mitchell up.  Isn’t that wonderful?”

            “Yeah, that’s great!” Adam called, projecting enthusiasm he didn’t feel.  “So, Mitchell’s got a family?”

            “Along with his brother, Mitchell’s got a wife and two kids, ages two and four.  They’re waiting for him back home.  And Michael says they were frantic, thinking Mitchell had been killed.”  Her voice grew warm.  “Mr. Levine, I wanted to thank you again for taking Mitchell in.  You kept him safe, kept him out of the psych ward, and now he’s going to be reunited with his family.  I can’t wait to see the reunion!  How much has he remembered?”

            “Just bits and pieces.  I’m sure he’ll remember a lot more when he sees his family.”

            “Well, don’t get your hopes up,” Shakira warned.  “Amnesia isn’t like in the movies.”

            “Yeah, I noticed that.  So I need to bring him in, when?”

            “Michael is already on a plane,” she reported.  “He expects to be at the hospital by 2pm.  Can you have Mitchell here then?”

            That was only three hours from now.  Adam closed his eyes, swallowed his emotions, and kept his voice level.  “Yeah, sure.  It’s time he went back to where he belongs.  Thanks, Shakira.”

            “No problem at all.  I’m so glad we’ve got a happy ending!”

            “Yeah,” Adam said.  “Me too.”

            Adam hung up and stared at the phone.  Behind him, Blake had sat up as well and was looking at him curiously.  Pharrell peeked his head in.  “Tell me that wasn’t Christina?”

            “No,” Adam replied.  “It was Shakira, the social worker from the hospital.”  He turned to Blake.  “Do you know a Michael?  Michael Shultz?”

            “No,” Blake replied.

            “Do you remember a Mitchell Shultz?”

            Blake cocked his head, looking confused.

            “Who are they?” Pharrell asked.

            “Well, Mitchell is, apparently, Blake,” Adam replied.  “And Michael is his brother.  His brother that is currently on a plane, flying in to take Blake.”  He looked up, forcing a smile he didn’t feel as he looked at Blake.  “Blake, your family found you, and they’re coming to take you home.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mr. Fun said that it was really nice that Adam has such a good friend in Pharrell, that his life isn't completely shitty. He said that phone call is bullshit.


	9. It's So Hard To Say Goodbye To Yesterday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adam reluctantly prepares to give Blake up

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Obviously, the song I listened to for this part is "It's So Hard To Say Goodbye To Yesterday" by Boyz II Men:  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dtkbfkmW808

            Adam tried hard to feel happy for Blake.  After all, the guy was about to meet his brother and go home to his wife and kids.  But instead, his chest ached and his head throbbed.  If there had been any doubt in Adam’s mind that he was in love with Blake, it was gone now.  _Mitchell,_ he reminded himself earnestly.  _He’s Mitchell, not Blake.  And that’s the whole story in a nutshell, Levine.  You were in love with a guy who didn’t exist!  Mitchell’s got a family, a wife and kids and a brother.  Blake wasn’t anything more than someone you made up to play house with, while a real man with amnesia was missed by a wife and kids you didn’t even think about!_

            Mitchell seemed more confused than anything else.  Seated at the kitchen table, for once, he wasn’t touching his food.  Jenny, insisting that he eat something before he set off on what could potentially be a very long journey, had made everyone sandwiches.  Adam suspected it helped her, to keep busy before she could run out the door for work.  The closest she’d come to breaking down was when she’d hugged Adam after wishing Mitchell well.  Then she’d left the three men sitting with their sandwiches.  But no one had much of an appetite.

            Adam couldn’t remember ever sitting in Pharrell’s home in silence before.  He was just glad that the kids were already at school, even though that meant they hadn’t had a chance to say goodbye.  Leesha had started a drawing last night that was hanging, unfinished, on the fridge.  It showed three stick figures standing together, all three with big smiley faces for heads.  Leesha, who was just learning her letters, had drawn an A with an arrow pointing to one and an L pointing to the other.  A and L were depicted, as usual, holding hands.  Adam had a similar picture in his cubicle at work.  Later, she would add the typical details of the house they would live in, the dog she’d already named Ol’ Red, and their car.  But this time, there was a third figure in the picture, standing behind A and L, marked with a B.  For some reason, B’s arms were quite long and depicted as held up in a V.  Apparently, B was excited for A and L and declaring it a victory.  Adam wasn’t sure if the victory was A’s or L’s.  Normally, the picture would bring an instant smile to his face.  But today, it hurt so much that he could barely stand to look at it.  Leesha had already grown attached, already included Blake - _Mitchell!_ \- in her drawings, and the shy little girl didn’t do that for anyone.  It had taken weeks before she’d finally gotten the courage to approach Adam after they’d met.  But Adam understood.  The big man had won a place in Adam’s heart just as quickly.

            “How about I put your sandwich in a bag for you, Mitchell?” Pharrell called.  “I get the feeling you’re not up to eating it right now.”

            Troubled blue eyes turned to Pharrell.  Then they returned to Adam.  He’d been staring at Adam like this since the phone call, not saying a word, just looking at him.  Adam didn’t know how to respond.  It was the same look he’d gotten when he’d left for work yesterday, a Blakeism for “I am upset that you are leaving me.”  But this was worse.  It was more than sadness and loneliness.  Somehow, it seemed as if Adam was failing Mitchell in some way, that Mitchell was hurt and disappointed in him.  Adam supposed that Mitchell was probably frightened.  After all, he didn’t remember this Michael that was going to meet him, to take him away from the only person he trusted.  But there was nothing Adam could do except eat a delicious sandwich that tasted like ashes in his mouth and avoid his gaze.

            Sensing Adam’s distress, Pharrell quietly put Mitchell’s untouched sandwich into a bag.  “Adam, it’s time to go, buddy,” he said softly.  “I’ll drive you, ok?  You can stay with him in the back.  I think you both need that.”

            Adam only nodded.

            Pharrell gently steered the two into the back of his minivan.  Then he’d driven them in silence back to Adam’s new apartment to pick up Mitchell’s things.

            The apartment already seemed empty.  It was about to get emptier.

            As Pharrell drove them to the hospital, Adam tried to be cheerful.  “Your brother Michael is going to meet us with Shakira,” he explained.  “He’s going to take you home, buddy.  You’ll finally be able to go back to where you belong, with people who love you and were worried about you.”

            Mitchell seemed to flinch.  The blue eyes were huge as they stared back at Adam.

            “It seems like you did remember some real information about your past,” Adam forced himself to continue.  “Your real name is Mitchell Shultz, and you really are a security escort!  Shakira said you were escorting some scientist working for the government who was transporting a top-secret prototype weapon.  That’s pretty much what those Homeland Security goons said.  So I guess they were telling the truth after all!”

            “Told you,” Pharrell called.  “You don’t want to know what you don’t know!”

            “I still don’t get it,” Adam complained, glad of an excuse to look away from Mitchell’s eyes.  “It still doesn’t make sense for all the reasons I said before.  But I guess it’s the truth after all.”  He paused, frowning.  “Except, if you were providing security escort services, why didn’t you have a gun, or at least a holster?  The hospital gave back all of your belongings, everything you had on you.  And there wasn’t so much as a pocket knife!  You didn’t even have a wallet, or any sort of licensure!  It just doesn’t make sense!  And I still don‘t understand why Shakira couldn’t trace you through your fingerprints.  You’d surely have to be fingerprinted to do your job, right?  Your whole identity should have been right here on the tips of your…”

            Adam trailed off, staring at the tips of Mitchell’s fingers.  “Um, Pharrell?” he called.  “What does it mean when someone doesn’t have fingerprints?”

            “That he’s way deep into some serious shit, that’s what it means!” Pharrell declared.  “And that’s your answer as to why no one could trace him.  Probably had his fingerprints removed so he couldn’t be traced.  He was doing security work for the government, man!  Hell, I wouldn’t be surprised to find out someone wiped the poor guy’s memories on purpose!”

            “If his fingerprints were removed, wouldn’t there be scar tissue or something?” Adam asked, still frowning at Mitchell’s fingers.  “He doesn’t even have prints on his hands!”

            “Don’t overthink it, buddy,” Pharrell advised.  “There’s probably way more going on here than you and I are ever going to find out.  But I bet our big friend is going to be right back in the middle of it before long!”

            “Yeah.”  Adam couldn’t disguise his worry.  He looked up, daring to meet Mitchell’s gaze.  “Please be very careful out there, ok?  There are some real monsters in the world, and it’s people like you that work to defend others from them.”

            Mitchell remained silent.  Since they’d picked up his things, his face had become expressionless, and his eyes were solemn and impossible to read.  But the look he kept giving Adam made Adam want to cringe.  It was almost accusatory, as if he’d somehow disappointed or betrayed the big man’s trust.  Twice now, he’d reached out a hand tentatively towards Adam, only to quickly pull it back.  Now he gently pulled his hand free of Adam.  He folded his hands into his lap and lowered his eyes, seeming lost in his thoughts.

            Adam was trying hard not to get lost in his own.  His memories of his short time with this beautiful man played over and over again in his mind.  The silly mistakes he’d made, like biting into a plastic spoon.  The silly, sexy time he’d strolled naked and dripping wet out into the room.  The way they’d danced together.  How he’d cried when Adam had played guitar, and the way he’d pulled Adam into his arms.  How good it felt this morning, just lying in those arms, pressed against that strong, solid body.  Adam had to close his eyes and focus on breathing to regain his control.  _Don’t fall apart,_ he warned himself.  _He’s upset enough.  Don’t let his last memory of you be of you sobbing like a child!_

            Adam dug into a pocket and produced a folded slip of paper.  This he gently pushed into the breast pocket of Mitchell’s shirt.  “This is my number, and my new address,” he said.  “If you ever need anything, even if you just need someone to talk to?  All you have to do is call.  And if you ever need me, I don’t care if Michael takes you clear across the country.  I’ll get to you even if I have to hitch hike!” 

            Mitchell still didn’t look up, and Adam’s resolve finally broke.  He shook his head, fighting back tears.  “Dammit!  I don’t want you to go!”

            Pharrell looked sharply at him in the rear view mirror.  “Adam!  You’re not being fair!  I get what you must be feeling, buddy, but you can’t keep him!”

            “I know, Pharrell!” Adam shot back.  “I took him in, and I let myself get too attached.  I should have known all along that I’d have to give him up eventually.  I guess I just didn’t expect it would be this soon.  And I know I have to give him up, alright?  I know he’s got a wife and two little kids, and I have no business under God being this selfish, but I cannot help myself!” 

            Adam turned to the man sitting next to him, who was now watching him intently, and took his hand again, clutching it to his chest.  “I love you, Blake!  There, I said it, and I mean it!  I know you have your own life and I have no right to put this shit on you.  I certainly don’t expect anything in return!  But I have to tell you, because I’ll never get another chance.  Blake, you’re the best damned thing that ever happened to me, and I want you to know how glad I am that I got to know you!” 

            Silence.  The blue eyes seemed to bore through Adam.

            Adam let go of Blake and rubbed at his face with shaking hands.  “Tomorrow, I’ll go back to my shithole of a life where Pharrell’s the only good thing in it.  I’ll have to deal with Christina and whatever else fate decides to throw at my head because I apparently ran over Cthulhu’s dog in another life.  Or maybe because I’m just Fate’s bitch?  Homeland Security’s probably going to arrest me and send me to Gitmo for lying to them during an investigation.  Then I can get prison raped by terrorists!  Or maybe I’ll have a plane drop out of the sky onto my new car and destroy my new apartment, the way my luck has been lately.  But even then, I’m still going to be glad that I got to meet you and be with you, just for a little while.”

            Silence.  Blake looked at Adam for a bit longer.  Then he returned his gaze to his hands in his lap.

            Pharrell turned into the hospital parking garage.  Adam stared moodily out the window, embarrassed at his outburst even as he was glad he’d finally told Blake how he felt. 

            The crowded hospital parking garage did nothing to help Adam’s headache.  Pharrell had to climb to the sixth floor to find a parking spot.  Once he pulled in, no one moved.  All three sat, silent and still, in the minivan.

            The tension in the van was palpable.  Adam discovered he had trouble breathing, as if the air had somehow become thick.  He looked over, but Blake was looking out the window now.  The big man looked pale.  As Adam glanced at Blake’s hands, he saw they were clenched into tight fists.  Blake was visibly trembling.  “Hey,” he called.  “You’re going to be alright.  You’re going back to where you belong!”

            Adam reached out a hand to touch Blake’s shoulder.  The big man violently flinched, whirling on Adam.  He stared for a moment at Adam, hurt evident in his eyes.  And then, without a word, Blake took off his seatbelt, opened the door, and climbed out of the van.

            Adam wasn’t sure his legs would support him as he got up and followed Blake out.  He wobbled a bit, the world going grey for a moment as his head throbbed.  He caught himself before he fell, waited for the world to return to normal.  Then he climbed gingerly out.

            Blake had moved to the wall and was leaning against it, his head resting on the back of his left arm.  As Adam watched, he pounded the side of his right fist against the wall.  Then he turned, put his back against the wall, closed his eyes, tilted his head back, and sighed deeply.  His eyes were full of resignation as he looked at Adam.

            Watching Blake, he was finally sure.  “Pharrell?” Adam called.  “Something’s wrong.”

            “Come on, Adam!” Pharrell groaned.  “This is hard enough without…”

            “No, I mean it!  Something is wrong, like seriously not right here.  It just does not make sense!” Adam insisted.  He moved closer to Blake.  “Blake, back at the hotel, I asked if you remembered who you were and you nodded.  Do you know who you are?”

            Blake’s brow furled slightly.  He nodded.

            “And are you Mitchell Shultz?”

            Blake sighed deeply.  Then he shook his head.  His eyes were once again locked on Adam, but now they looked hopeful.

            “Adam, he’s confused!” Pharrell said.  “If he knew who he was, surely he would have found some way to tell us by now?”

            “I think he’s been trying,” Adam insisted.  “I just haven’t given him the right words yet.”

            Pharrell moved closer.  “Listen,” he began, keeping his voice low.  “I know how much I don’t want to give him up, and I barely know the guy!  You’ve been with him for days, and I get that you’ve fallen pretty hard for him.  But speaking as a husband and a father?  I cannot imagine how I would feel in his position.  He doesn’t remember his old life, and it’s real plain that he’s attached to you, buddy.  The idea of going with someone who seems like a stranger to him, to go back to this abstract idea of wife and kids that he has no memory of?  He’s got to be scared to death!  But Adam, if this ever happened to me, and I had a chance to get back to my lady and my babies?  I pray to God that whoever was with me had the strength to let me go!  Because there is nothing I would not do for my family, Adam.  And someday, when Blake remembers?  I’m betting he’s the same way!”

            That hit Adam hard.  His head throbbed, and his resolve wavered.  What right did he have to make this decision?  Blake clearly didn’t want to go, but maybe just the sight of his brother would bring back his memories?  He imagined Leesha and the twins crying for Pharrell and felt physically sick.  No, he couldn’t turn back now, couldn’t take Blake from his children!

            But then he looked once again into Blake’s eyes and saw the disappointment as his hope faded.  Adam frowned.  “Pharrell, you’re the guy with all the conspiracy theories,” he called.

            “You mean I have a wider acceptance of truth than you do!”

            “Whatever!  Let’s look at some truths.  Blake, can I see your hand a moment?”

            Blake reluctantly held out his hand.  Adam took it, and motioned Pharrell over.  “No scarring, Pharrell.  The skin on his palm and his fingers isn’t smooth or hard.  This isn’t scar tissue.  It’s just like what you and I have, except there’s not a single line, no whorls, no loops, no arches.  See?”

            “Yeah, but Adam, there’s ways of removing prints.”

            “What if there’s another answer?” Adam pressed, letting go of Blake’s hand and turning to take Pharrell’s shoulders.  “From what I remember from my biology classes, the whorls, loops, and arches of human fingerprints are formed in the womb.”

            “Congratulations on knowledge retained,” Pharrell retorted.  “What is your point?”

            “My point is this.  What if Blake’s fingerprints weren’t removed?  What if he never had them?  If fingerprints are formed in the womb and he doesn’t have any, what does that say about him?”

            Understanding began to dawn in Pharrell’s eyes.  “That he was never in a womb!” he breathed.  “Holy shit.  Holy shit!  Holy shit, Adam, he’s a clone!  He’s a fucking clone, that’s why he’s so fucked in the head!  Whatever that was that ruined your car and your old apartment, it must have been how he got away.  And that’s why you had to teach him everything!  He was probably fed through a tube before he saved your sorry ass!"  Pharrell stared at Blake in awe.  "A real live human clone, no fucking wonder Homeland Security is after him!  They’re probably just trying to get him back to the lab he escaped from!  He could be a next generation supersoldier, or superspy!  He…”

            Adam shook Pharrell sharply.  “Focus, buddy!  Let’s say Blake is a clone, and all that bullshit you’ve been spouting off about for years is real.  Tell me.  Do clones have brothers?”

            Pharrell’s head snapped sharply towards Blake.  His jaw set as he looked back at Adam.  “Adam, we cannot let these people have him!  What do we do?  Take off?”

            Adam dared to let go of his friend and tried to think.  Oddly enough, his headache was better.  Blake was watching them, his eyes flicking back and forth between Adam and Pharrell, his mouth set into an uncharacteristic frown.  Adam rubbed his temples and considered his options.  “Ok, Blake may or may not necessarily be a clone, but something is obviously not normal here,” he began.  “So we’re going to have to be very careful from this point on.  But the thing is, we need to check into this brother and find out if it’s legit.”

            “Are you fucking kidding me?” Pharrell exclaimed.  “Brothers don’t have clones, or, the other way around, clones don’t have brothers, except clone brothers!  Whatever, that story has to be bullshit!  If we let this Michael Shultz guy take Blake, he’s going right back into some government lab and we will never see him again!  How the hell could you even consider…?”

            “Because what you said before was right,” Adam said, looking hard at Pharrell.  “What if the story’s true?  Pharrell, if you disappeared on us, I don’t know what Jenny and the kids and I would do.  And I couldn’t imagine finding out that you’d abandoned us because you lost your memory!  I still think something’s off about that whole story, but we gotta look into it, just in case.”

            “Adam, if we bring Blake in there, they are going to take him!” Pharrell insisted.  “He’ll be strapped to a table in a fucking government lab within twenty-four hours, tops!  We can’t risk that!”

            “That’s why I’m not bringing him in there,” Adam declared.  “Pharrell, I want you to wait with him in the car.  I’m going to do some recon, go meet with this guy, see if I can’t find out what’s really going on.”

            “And what are we supposed to do if they grab you?” Pharrell wanted to know.

            “They can’t grab me in front of Shakira,” Adam assured.  “Besides, I’ll have my phone, and I’ll keep texting you with updates.  If anything happens, or if you don’t hear from me, you get the hell out, alright?”

            Pharrell was shaking his head.  “You are taking one hell of a risk, buddy.”

            “I know.  But it’s worth it to find out what is really going on here.”  Adam turned to Blake, who was once again looking sadly at him.  “Blake, I want you to stay with Pharrell.  Alright?”

            Blake looked down, and for a moment, Adam thought he’d refuse to answer.  But then he nodded.

            Adam saw his friends safely back in Pharrell’s minivan.  Then he started for the elevator.  As he walked, something caught his eye. Adam stared, taking in the sight of the black SUV with the bone shaped “I heart big mutts (and I cannot lie)” bumper sticker that was parked down the row, only half a dozen cars from where they’d parked.  Adam shook his head, not believing his luck.  Six floors of this garage not including the roof, and they’d managed to park this close to the two people Adam most dreaded seeing?  But at least the vehicle was empty.  Adam frowned. _Ok, why is Homeland Security here?  To talk to Blake?  How did they know I was bringing him here?_

            More and more, Adam found himself not believing the story Michael Shultz had told Shakira.  He sent a quick text to Pharrell, letting his friend know what he’d discovered.  Then he headed into the hospital.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mr. Fun thought the beginning was pretty sad, but said he knew Carson and Usher had something to do with this!


	10. Conspiracy Theories

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adam goes in alone to meet Blake's brother, and has a confrontation with Homeland Security

            Getting directions at the front desk, Adam had little trouble finding Shakira’s office.  A tall dark-haired man Adam had never seen before was pacing around inside, looking anxious.  Shakira’s face lit up when she saw Adam, but then she frowned.  “Where’s Mitchell?”

            “It’s his amnesia,” Adam lied, thinking fast.  “He’s upset because his own name doesn’t mean anything to him, and he doesn’t know if he’s ready to meet with his brother.”

            “What do you mean?” Michael asked incredulously.  “I flew out here to get him!  His wife and kids are frantic!  You cannot seriously expect me to believe that he doesn’t want to see us!”

            “Sir, I tried to explain this,” Shakira said smoothly.  “Your brother is suffering from a severe form of amnesia.  When he was first brought in after his initial accident, he couldn’t even speak.  The damage he sustained to his brain is serious.  He has no memory of who he is or anything about his own life.  Since then, he has actually been recovering remarkably, considering how much damage he sustained.  And Mr. Levine has been taking care of him.”

            “I had to teach him how to eat, dude,” Adam explained.  “He took a big bite out of a plastic spoon because he had no idea what it was for.”

            Michael’s eyes grew wide.  And then he grimaced.  “I’m sorry, Mr. Levine,” he apologized.  “I’m just very concerned, as you can imagine.  The only thing I knew was that he’d been hurt.  We were all so worried!  I just knew I had to take him home.  I had no idea he was that bad!”

            Shakira smiled.  “Why don’t you both have a seat, and the three of us can talk?  It sounds like Mr. Levine needs to bring us both up to speed on Mitchell’s condition.  If you don’t mind, Mr. Levine?”

            “It’s Adam,” he called, sitting down.  He turned to face the man.  “First of all, I want to say that I totally get your concern.  Your brother really was in bad shape, but he’s slowly getting better.  There are times now that you can’t even tell he’s got brain damage at all.”

            “You’re a saint for taking him in,” Michael declared.  “I want to thank you for that.  Not many people would have done it.”

            Adam chuckled.  “I gotta say, part of me thought I was crazy.  But he’s such a scrawny little guy!  It’s hard to believe he’s a security escort.”

            Michael smiled.  “Yeah, I know.  I used to have to stand up for him when we were kids.  But he came into his own pretty quick!”

            Adam straightened, and Shakira sucked in her breath.  But Adam’s friendly smile remained intact.  “Do his kids have those same big brown eyes?” he asked.

            “Sure do!” Michael agreed.  “One look and you can tell whose kids they are.”

            “And what color is your brother’s hair?”

            Michael blinked.  “Excuse me?”

            “Well, you’ve already fucked up on his eye color and his size,” Adam informed him.  “I just want to see if you can go three for three.”

            “Who _are_ you?” Shakira hissed getting to her feet.  “What is this?  You’re trying to take a man with amnesia under false pretenses?  That’s kidnapping!”

            All the color drained from Michael’s face.  “Er…”

            Shakira’s face flushed.  She began yelling at Michael in rapid Spanish.

            “You know, attempted kidnapping’s a federal offense,” Adam declared.  “I hope you end up someone’s prison bitch!  Shakira, call the cops!”

            “No, wait!” Michael squeaked.  “I’m sorry!  I don’t understand what’s going on.  But I’m not kidnapping anyone!”

            “Who are you really?” Adam asked.

            “My name really is Michael Shultz, see?”  He dug into his pocket, pulled out his wallet, and frantically showed his ID.  “Ok, I’m not the guy’s brother, but I’m not a kidnapper or a criminal.  I’m an actor!  I got paid to come in here and play the part of some guy’s brother, get him to go out with me and then turn him over to the guys who paid me.  I didn’t know what it was about!  I didn’t know he had amnesia until you told me.  Until then, I thought it was a joke!”

            “A joke?  You were going to turn a man with a _brain injury_ over to some strangers?”  Shakira looked ready to explode.

            Michael cringed.  “I didn’t know he had a brain injury!”

            Shakira was yelling in Spanish again, but Adam was fine with English.  “What the fuck is wrong with you?” he exploded.  “What kind of sick, pathetic excuse for a human being could agree to something like this?  You were supposed to take someone from a hospital under false pretenses and then just turn him over to some complete strangers, no questions asked?  What was going to happen to him once you turned him over?”

            “I had no idea what was going to happen to him!” Michael insisted.  “I just needed the money!”

            Shakira spat something in Spanish that sounded very naughty.  Then she grabbed her phone.  “It’s Shakira.  Get me security, now!”

            “Wait!”  Michael was pointing out the window of Shakira’s office.  “That’s one of the guys now that paid me!  He’s the one you want, not me!”

            Adam looked and stiffened, recognizing Agent Daly.  The agent was wearing civilian clothes, seated in the waiting area next to radiology, well away from Shakira’s office.  He appeared as if he were waiting for a test with a magazine in his hands.  Adam hadn’t even noticed him when he’d come in.  “Shakira?” he called.  “I think I should go.”

            “Yes, go, take care of Mr. Doe,” she replied, embarrassed.  “And if anyone else comes to claim him, I promise you I’ll make sure they are who they say they are.  This won’t ever happen again!”

            Adam rose.  “Thank you.”

            “Don’t thank me,” she growled.  “I never should have let this happen!  Adam, get out of here, alright?  Take care of Mr. Doe.  I’ll deal with this one.”  The look she shot Michael made the man seem to shrink.

            Adam thought that was excellent advice.  He waited until a dietary aide came by with a large cart and ducked out, keeping behind it to avoid being seen by Agent Daly.  When he was sure he was out of sight, Adam broke into a quick walk.  Running would attract attention.

            But then a familiar face came around the corner.  Agent Usher Raymond froze, staring back at Adam as he gawked.  Then, as Adam tried to move around him, the agent moved to block his path.  “Mr. Levine!  Fancy seeing you again!”

            “Hey, how you been?” Adam called cheerfully.  “Excuse me, I need to get going.”

            Once again, the agent blocked his path.  “Why don’t we go back and meet up with my partner?  I believe we have some more questions for you.”

            “I already told you everything I know!”

            “We both know that’s a lie.”  The agent moved closer.  “Is he here?”

            “Your partner?  Yeah, I saw him in the waiting room up by the radiology department.”

            “You’ve been living with him all this time, haven’t you?”

            “Dude, your partner’s cute, but I already told you, I’ve got a boyfriend.  Now excuse me.”  Adam tried again to go around him.

            “Really?” the agent asked, once more moving to block Adam.  “You know, it was a real mess when you took him out of here.  You got here just minutes before we could have taken him into custody.  And now you claim he’s your boyfriend?”

            “I think we’re talking about two different people here.”

            “Oh, I don’t think so.  We both know that the man you found and the man you’ve been living with are the same person!  Especially if you brought your so-called ‘boyfriend’ here, thinking he was about to meet his family.”

            “You admit that?  You son of a bitch, that was beyond low!” Adam exclaimed.  “You tried to trick a man with brain damage into thinking he was going back to a wife and kids!  That’s a sick thing to do!”

            Agent Raymond seemed unbothered by this.  His eyes were bright as he looked at Adam.  “Tell me, what’s he like?  Was he badly injured?  He’s pretty dependent on you, isn’t he?  Is that why you’re with him?”

            “Dude, that’s confidential patient information,” Adam informed him.  “Can’t release it without either written permission or a warrant.  You got either one of those, pal?”

            Raymond’s dark eyes narrowed.  “Let’s go meet up with Carson.”

            “No thanks, I’m kind of on my way out right now.  I’ll call you!”  Adam tried to slip past.

            Agent Raymond put his arm out almost casually to block Adam’s path.  “Mr. Levine?” he called patiently.  “Turn around, and let’s go find my partner.  Now.”

            Adam eyed him.  “Are you threatening me?”

            “Yes.”

            “You know I’m bigger than you are, right?”

            “You know I have a gun, right?”  His hand moved to his weapon on his hip and patted it meaningfully.

            Adam blinked.  “Seriously?  You’d shoot me in a crowded hospital?”

            The agent’s face was set and serious.  “In the interests of national security?  Yes, Mr. Levine.  Yes, I would.”

            “Right.”  Adam’s shoulders slumped in defeat.  Then he frowned.  “Dude, your barn door’s open.”

            Agent Raymond quickly looked down, his hands going to his fly.

            The instant he was distracted, Adam bolted.  The old “your fly’s open” trick had served him well in the past when Adam was trying to run from bullies.  Thank God it still worked.  This time, he didn’t care if he attracted attention.  Adam barreled through the halls of the hospital, startling employees, patients and visitors, leaving a trail of chaos and scattered linens as he accidentally bumped into a linen cart, spilling it into the hall.  Adam glanced back and saw Agent Raymond charging after him, vaulting the fallen cart like an Olympic athlete.  The man was in great shape.  With a groan, Adam put on more speed.

            He reached the elevator for the parking garage and pressed the button.  Then, realizing how stupid he was being, he followed the signs for the stairway, shoved through the door and into the stairs.  Shakira’s office had been on the first floor.  Naturally, they’d parked on the sixth.  Adam ascended the stairs as quickly as he could.  Glancing back, he saw no sign of Agent Raymond.  Maybe he’d lost him after all?  With a sigh of relief, Adam slowed down, giving himself a chance to catch his breath.

            Adam exited at the sixth floor just as Agent Raymond stepped off the elevator.  The two stared at each other for a moment in surprise.  Then the agent’s hand shot out like a striking snake, grabbing Adam’s arm as Adam yelped in surprise and tried to run again.  “Where are you going in such a hurry, Mr. Levine?”

            “The bathroom.  Had some bad Mexican last night.  Really gotta shit!  Excuse me!”

            The grip on his arm tightened.  Shaking his head, the agent chuckled.  “What are the chances?  I knew you were heading for your car, so I was just trying to get to mine, see if I could cut you off or follow you.  Instead, you pop out right in front of me!  That is some kind of luck!”

            “Could we maybe cut to the part where you shoot me?” Adam sighed.  “Believe me, I am all too aware of what my luck is like.”

            He smiled.  “I think maybe we need to talk.”

            “Sorry, man, I’m taken, but flattered.”  Adam tried to pry the man’s fingers off of his arm.  But Agent Raymond’s grip was like steel.  “Um, you need to take your hands off me!”

            “I don’t think so.”  The agent started moving, dragging Adam along.

            “Ok, time to get real!” Adam called.  “You don’t get to just drag me away.  I don’t care who you work for!  Am I being arrested?”

            “Depends entirely on how you answer our questions.”  The agent had his cell phone out and was sending a text, never letting go of Adam.

            Adam did a quick assessment.  Agent Raymond was shorter than Adam, and their builds were similar.  Normally, Adam figured he could take the man in a fight.  But the strength of his grip on Adam’s arm made the taller man pause.  That unusual strength, combined with whatever government kung fu training he probably had, plus the fact the agent was armed?  Somehow, Adam didn’t think he wanted to get into a physical altercation with the man.  He dug in his heels, forcing the agent to all but drag him.  “Let go of me!” he ordered.  “Unless I’m under arrest, I’m not going anywhere with you!  And I sure as hell am not getting into that!” he added, seeing that he was being pulled towards the familiar black SUV.  “Stop!” he yelled.  “Hey!  Let go of me!”

            The agent had opened the door of the SUV and was shoving Adam inside.  Adam clung to the sides, kicking at him.  “Let me go!”

            “We can do this the easy way, or the hard way.  Now get in!”  The agent shoved him hard.

            Adam resisted with all his strength, straining to maintain his grip on the sides of the vehicle as he was pushed in.  “Fuck you!  Let me out!  Help!”

            And then there was a commotion from up the ramp.  Adam and Agent Raymond both looked and saw Blake coming towards them.  Pharrell was clinging to Blake’s arm, leaning back with all the strength of his slender five foot nine frame to try to impede the big man’s progress.  But Blake barely seemed to notice.  Pharrell’s feet slid over the floor as Blake continued forward, oblivious to his pulling or his frantic pleas to stop.  “Adam!” Pharrell yelled.  “I’m sorry man, but I can’t stop him!”

            Blake’s eyes fell on Adam, still straining to keep from being forced into the SUV.  Then they moved to Agent Raymond and became murderous.  His lips curled back into an animalistic snarl, and his fists clenched.  He increased his speed, storming towards the two, ignoring Pharrell who continued to be dragged after him.

            The agent stiffened, his eyes going wide.  Then he smiled.  “Finally!  Holy shit, look at you!”

            He’d stopped pushing Adam into the SUV and Adam quickly climbed out.  But then he took hold of Adam’s arm again, holding on as Blake approached.  Adam pried at his fingers, surprised by the strength of the smaller man’s grip.  “Let go of me, asshole!  Blake, stop, get back!”

            Blake didn’t listen to Adam any more than he’d listened to Pharrell.  Pharrell let him go, digging frantically in his pocket.  Blake stormed forward, his eyes locked with the agent’s.  Raymond seemed to brace, drawing his weapon with one hand and holding onto Adam with the other.  Still smiling, he raised his weapon, aiming at Blake.  “Hold it, big guy,” he called.  “Just keep cool, get in, and no one gets hurt!”

            Adam changed tactics, moved until he was between the two and held up a warding hand towards Blake.  “No, don’t shoot him!” he pleaded.  “Blake, stop, please!”

            “Homeland Security goons!” Blake spat, grabbing Adam’s arm.  “I’m not telling you again.  Keep your grubby fingers to yourself!”

            The agent’s eyes widened in surprise.  “You can _talk?_   What the…?”

            “Smile, motherfucker, you’re on candid camera!”  Pharrell, all but forgotten in the tension of the moment, had his phone out and was busy filming the scene.  “This is a couple of American citizens facing off with an agent of Homeland Security who is attempting to abduct one or both of them.  Bitch, you better back the fuck off or I swear, this is going to go viral!  You want to be a star, asshole?  Huh?”

            The agent paused.  His brow wrinkled, considering his options.  Then with a muttered curse, he finally released Adam.  “Another time, Levine!”

            Adam gave him the finger as he let Blake pull him over.  “Come on, man, we gotta go!” he pleaded, pushing at the big man’s chest.  “These guys are bad news!  Please, Blake?”

            Blake’s arms went around Adam, holding the smaller man close as he glared over Adam’s head at the agent.  Something seemed to pass between them.  And then Blake at last turned around and let himself be guided back to Pharrell’s car.  His arm kept Adam tightly to his side, making walking a bit awkward, but they soon arrived and climbed in.

            A moment later, Pharrell was in the driver’s seat.  His hands shook so badly that he dropped the keys, whimpered in panic before finding them, and finally started the ignition with a shaking hand.

            “Pharrell, you may have just saved our lives back there,” Adam called, hoping to help calm his friend as they backed out and then took off with a squeal of tires.  “It’s ok, buddy.  That was some damned fast thinking, taping that whole thing like you did!  I really think that asshole was ready to drag us both off!”

            Pharrell looked terrified.  He raced through the parking garage at unsafe speeds, nearly taking out the gate in his hurry.  Once on the street, he ignored all posted speed limits.  “Oh shit, oh hell, the government’s after us now!” he moaned.  “They’re probably tracking us from space!  They could have a missile locked onto us right now!  We’re dead, so dead!”

            “Dammit, Pharrell, would you calm down?” Adam exclaimed.  When they’d gotten into the car, Blake had pulled Adam onto his lap and was refusing to let go.  It was nice, but as wild as Pharrell was driving, Adam really wanted the safety of a seat belt.  “C’mon, Big Country, let me go,” he soothed.  “I’m alright.  Let me sit down in the seat so we can both get into the seat belts, ok?”

            Blake scowled, not letting go.  He still appeared very upset, and his arms were tight around Adam.  Adam struggled a bit more, realized he wasn’t going anywhere, sighed and somehow managed to buckle Blake’s seat belt around them both.  “You’re so freaking strong!  And you know, so was that agent.  He was way stronger than he looked!”

            “He’s probably part of a government program!” Pharrell exclaimed, not slowing down.  “You know they got drugs to alter the human body, make supersoldiers and shit like that!  Poor Blake’s probably been getting juiced since they grew him in a test tube!”

            “Pharrell?”

            “Your Big Country back there’s probably an altered government agent!  They sent those other goons to bring him back in after he escaped!  Only reason that agent let us go is because the only thing they fear is exposure!  Thank God Blake heard you yelling and came out after you!  If that guy would have gotten you into that van, we’d never see you again, Adam!”

            “Pharrell?”

            “They’d take you to some government training facility and inject you with experimental drugs.  You’d come out of there twice as strong and with a chip in your head, ensuring your obedience to your government masters!  The way that fucker was so surprised that Blake could talk?  You know he expected to find an obedient slave!  And if he’d taken you away, he’d have turned you into one, too!”

            “Pharrell?”

            “You know they put tracking chips into vaccines now?  Every time Jenny takes our babies for their shots, they’re getting a new chip.  And all those metal detectors and the scanners in the store?  They’re not there for safety, man, they’re reading those chips!  The government tracks your every move, watches you all the time…”

            “Pharrell!” Adam yelled.

            “What?!”

            “There’s a cop trying to pull you over,” Adam calmly informed him, jerking a thumb over his shoulder.  “And before you panic, it’s probably because you ran a stop sign and you’re speeding.”

            Pharrell swore a blue streak.  “What should we do?  Bolt?”

            “Just pull over, you idiot!  He’s going to be pissed enough as it is.”  He craned his neck around to look at the giant holding him.  “Hey, buddy, I don’t suppose there’s any chance you’ll let me go now?  This cop is not going to like that I’m sitting on your lap!”

            But Blake still looked upset, and his grip didn’t loosen.

            Pharrell pulled over and got his paperwork ready, muttering what sounded like a prayer under his breath.  Adam felt Blake’s arms get even tighter around him and tapped on them.  “Blake?  You need to loosen up, buddy, I can’t breathe too well.  Thanks.  Listen, no one is going to hurt me, or any of us, ok?  We’re all going to be just fine!  Now, I need you to just sit here quietly and let this cop do his thing.  Don’t say anything unless he asks you something.  Really, you don't have to tell him anything but your name, so let us do most of the talking here.  Alright?”

            “Alright.”  Blake looked unconvinced.  He was still frowning, but at least he didn’t look like he was about to tear the cop’s head off.  The look he’d given Agent Raymond had been chilling.  Adam considered it progress.

            The cop was at Pharrell’s window.  “License, insurance, and registration, please?”

            Pharrell meekly handed them over.  “I guess I was going pretty fast, huh?”

            “Yes, yes you were.  And you ran a stop sign.”

            Pharrell slumped.  “I’m really sorry, officer.”

            The officer’s eyes were on Adam and Blake.  “You know that’s not safe, both of you in one seat belt?” he asked.  His eyes fixed on Blake.  “You could really hurt him if you got in an accident, buddy.  You’re a big guy, and you’d press him into the seat belt!  What were you thinking?”

            “Blake Shelton, escort service,” Blake announced.

            The cop blinked as Adam and Pharrell cringed.  But then he smiled, looking at Adam.  “Special occasion?”

            “It’s my birthday,” Adam replied weakly.

            The cop chuckled.  “Well, hell of a nice choice there, brother.  I can’t really support prostitution, but between you and me, I’m tempted to look him up!”  The cop smiled brightly at Blake.  Blake smiled back.  “And dimples, damn, brother!  I can see why you’re in a hurry to get home, but it’s not worth your life.”

            “Yes, Sir.  Sorry, Sir,” Adam managed.

            Suddenly much friendlier, the cop returned his attention to Pharrell.  “Ok, buddy, I’ll let you off with a warning, since it’s your friend’s birthday and all.  But you need to slow it down.  I get you’re excited and anxious to get where you’re going, but don’t kill your friend on his birthday, ok?”

            “Got it,” Pharrell managed.

            “And as for you, gorgeous?”  The cop was back to Adam.  “Happy birthday.  Now get off this lovely thing’s lap and get into your own seatbelt.”

            “Yes, Sir.  Let go of me, Blake.”  To Adam’s relief, Blake let him go.  He unfastened Blake’s belt, climbed into his seat, and they both buckled up.  “Thank you very much, officer.”

            “It’s Officer Dan Cole, handsome, if you’re ever interested in company you don’t have to pay for.  Not that I blame you, this guy’s worth whatever you paid.  Now you three get going.  Have a good time, and stay strong!”  The officer slapped the side of the minivan, gave a jaunty salute, and returned to his vehicle.

            Pharrell meekly pulled back out into the street, this time careful to obey applicable traffic laws.  “Adam?” he called.  “Your luck is incredible.  Most of the time it’s shit.  But every so often, it turns into gold and you find the one understanding gay cop on the entire force!”

            “Can we please just get back?” Adam asked.

            “Why, you got an appointment?” Pharrell grumbled.

            “Yeah.  As soon as we get in the door, I’m having a heart attack.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mr. Fun is very curious now as to what is really going on here. Laughed very hard at Pharrell and his conspiracy theories.


	11. Just A Big Misunderstanding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adam has a lot of explaining to do

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One of my wonderful readers sent me a couple of illustrated scenes from this story, and I am over the moon! I have permission to post them, just waiting for confirmation of format. Cannot believe another lovely drew one of my stories, that is just blinding! Bouncing off the walls here! Weeeeee!
> 
> ...And now time to get to the serious stuff. Yes, the story about Oden luck is a true story. A buddy of ours with lousy spelling ability from our tabletop days is the RL inspiration here, and our sadist of a GM from those times taught me everything I know about how to mislead people in a story and make it twist and turn so it's never predictable. Blame him!
> 
> For the record, I'm not saying anything about any particular religion in this story, so don't get your knickers in a twist.

            Fortunately, Adam’s predicted cardiac emergency never materialized.  The three men dropped Blake’s belongings back at Adam’s new apartment.  Then they went back to Pharrell’s and loaded up everything Pharrell could give them.  This included the inflatable mattress, some blankets and spare pillows, toilet paper and a roll of paper towels, some old chipped dishes and silverware, a few pots and pans and cooking utensils, and the television that Pharrell had offered.  Jenny hadn’t had much to say.  She was clearly very emotional at seeing Blake still with them.  She stayed busy, helping load things into the minivan and trying to keep the children out of the way.  The twin boys were underfoot, running and shouting and, occasionally, helping.  And Leesha was a hinderance, constantly clinging to Blake’s leg or wanting Adam to pick her up.  Just before they’d gone, she’d kissed Adam’s cheek, slid a folded copy of her latest drawing into the pocket of his leather jacket, and made him promise he would put it on the fridge in his new place.  “I know my letters,” she announced.  “My teacher says I have to write ‘Leesha Williams,’ but that’s dumb!”

            Adam raised an eyebrow.  “What’s dumb about writing your name?”

            “Because I’m going to be Leesha Levine!”

            Adam had laughed.  “Oh, that’s right, how could I forget?  But you have to write Williams so you can sign the marriage certificate.”

            “Ok!”  Leesha had immediately wanted down.  Then she ran off to practice her letters.

            Blake was a huge help, especially with the TV.  Adam and Pharrell had muscled the thing into the trunk with a great deal of swearing and attached it with bungee straps.  Blake had taken it into the apartment himself, only a slight grimace showing that he’d had any trouble at all with the heavy old-fashioned set.

            “That man,” Pharrell declared, “is as strong as an ox!  See, Adam?  Top-secret government supersoldier modifications!”

            “You’re an idiot, Pharrell,” Adam groaned.  “Yeah, he’s strong, but he’s not like super strong!  Nothing he’s done has shown him to be anything more than a strong guy, ok?  Even Agent Raymond wasn’t superman!  So no, I really don’t think we’re dealing with supersoldier modifications here, Pharrell, at least not in terms of Blake’s strength.”

            “Well, I guess you’d know,” Pharrell sighed.  He actually looked disappointed.  “I mean, if he didn’t do anything in the throes of passion, then he…”

            “Wait, what?” Adam exclaimed.  “Throes of passion, what are you talking about?”

            “When you guys made love on my sofa couch last night,” Pharrell explained.  “Oh yeah, that reminds me.  Jenny left you these.  She must have picked them up before you guys came over yesterday, but forgot about them when we were talking.  I guess she jumped to conclusions pretty quick about you two before she even met Blake.  But turns out she was right, huh?”

            Adam blinked.  “What?”

            “Just hold on a sec.”  Pharrell got into the glove box and produced a bag, which he handed to Adam with a wink.  “Jen told me about these last night, because we figured you’d, you know.  We’re both happy for you, man.  I mean, if anyone deserves someone good in their life, it’s you, buddy!  But play it safe, ok?”

            Adam looked in the bag, saw the container of lube and the condoms inside, and blushed to the roots of his hair.  “Dude!  We didn’t, I mean, thanks, God knows I’d like to, but we’re not like that!  Even if we were, I wouldn’t have sex on your couch in your living room with you two down the hall and your kids right upstairs!”

            “Eh, we didn’t mind, and you know the kids sleep like the dead.  We weren’t listening or anything, but we didn’t hear anything, so don’t worry.”  He smiled.  “Adam, I get it.  You get comfy, and you’re right next to each other, one thing leads to another…”

            “I am not having sex with him!” Adam yelled, oblivious of who might be listening.  “Pharrell, nothing happened, ok?  Thank you for these, but seriously, nothing happened!”

            Pharrell cocked an eyebrow, and his grin grew wider.  “That so?  You guys sure looked comfy to me, all spoony with him holding onto you!”

            “He’s just really affectionate,” Adam argued weakly.  “Dude, he held me like that after I sang to him over the weekend because he got emotional about it.  But I swear, we did not have sex on your couch!”

            “In that case, you’re an idiot,” Pharrell told him.  “The guy is obviously crazy about you, Adam.  He was ready to lay down some serious whoopass on that agent when he saw the asshole shoving you into his vehicle!  What the hell was that all about, anyway?  I cannot believe Homeland Security is kidnapping people in hospital parking garages now!  That’s a new low, man, a new low!”  He shook his fist up at the sky, scowling at the hidden satellites he believed were watching.  “My point is, if you two aren’t at the physical stage yet, well, that’s fine, take it as slow as you need.  I know it’s been a while for you, and God only knows what his history is.  Looking like that, I kind of doubt he’s a blushing virgin, buddy.  But you two have been dancing around the fact that you both obviously want the other for long enough.  Whatever you got between you, it’s time to sit down and talk it out.”

            “I’d planned on it,” Adam said, rubbing the back of his neck.  “This weekend.”

            “This weekend?  Adam, it’s Tuesday!”

            “Yeah, Pharrell, I am aware that it is Tuesday.  Can we please drop the subject?  You made your point, and I appreciate it, man.  And these.”  He indicated the bag.  “Don’t know that I’ll necessarily be using them, but it’s good to have them, I guess.”

            Pharrell patted his arm.  “Good man.  Let’s head in.”

            The two turned towards the apartment and there was Blake, standing a few feet away from them, head cocked, obviously having listened in on most if not all of the conversation.

            Silence.

            “Awkward,” Pharrell called.

            “No kidding.  Blake, it looks like we need to talk,” Adam began.

            “Hey, yeah, look at the time!” Pharrell exclaimed.  “Gotta get going.  You two have fun now, bye!”  Pharrell practically ran to his minivan, waved cheerfully, and was on his way.

            Now it was just Adam and Blake, staring at each other while Adam clutched a bag filled with condoms and lube.  Adam looked around, suddenly aware that his apartment was one of many in the row building.  He cleared his throat.  “Can we go inside?” he asked.  “C’mon, buddy, I really do not want to have this conversation out here.”  He started into the building.

            Blake followed.  He closed the door and came over, standing only a few feet away.  His eyes moved from Adam’s face to the bag in his hand.

            “Ok, it’s obvious that I am completely and totally busted,” Adam confessed.  “For the record, I did not ask for these.  I have no intention of jumping you, or pressuring you into anything you don’t want.  My idiot friends are only trying to look out for me because they think we’re already in a physical relationship.  But seeing as how you obviously heard the conversation Pharrell and I were having, I can’t hide and try to say the whole thing’s just a big misunderstanding.  Hell, even if that were possible, I already told you how I felt, back before we got to the hospital.”

            As he spoke, Adam was staring at Blake’s cowboy boots.  He’d been wearing them when he’d rescued Adam, but they looked more fitting now that Blake was decked out in jeans and a plaid shirt.  Adam dared to look up, trying to gauge Blake’s reaction.  But Blake only looked at him, those gorgeous blue eyes betraying nothing at all of what the man was thinking.

            Adam quickly looked back down.  “Alright.  I’m attracted to you.  Hell, tell the truth and shame the devil, I’m flat out in love with you, Blake.  Like I told you, I’m bi, but I’ve never been in a real relationship with a man.  Hell, I’ve only had a few long-term relationships with women, and none of them worked out.  I have no idea what I’m doing!  I mean, we just met a few days ago, and things don’t typically go this quick, you know?  We still barely know each other.  Hell, you barely know yourself!  But you’re all I think about.”

            Adam paced around, rubbing at the back of his neck, trying to find the words he was looking for.  “It’s just my typical luck that you would come out there and literally catch me holding the bag.  The stars tend to be set against me more often than not.  You know how Pharrell said my luck is either amazingly good or horribly bad?  I call that ‘Oden luck.’  Not Odin, like the Viking god, but Oden, spelled with an E.  See, this is how big of a nerd I am, Blake.  Back west when I was in school, I was in a tabletop RP game.  You probably have no idea what I’m talking about, because you’ve probably never even heard of Dungeons and Dragons, but it was like that.  Anyway, my character was a priest, and so I needed to pick a god that my character worshipped.  Well, in this version we were playing, a priest wasn’t necessarily a healer, so I had this berserking priest that I wanted to be a real ass kicker, so I picked the Viking god Odin.  Only problem was, I suck at spelling.  And our GM was a real sadistic bastard.  No one could play with your mind and throw out plot twists like he could, Blake, and he was notorious for seeing you make a mistake and just letting it play out.  I could not figure out why I never was able to convert anyone to get more power, or why my spells wouldn’t work.  Turns out, it was because my god didn’t exist, because I’d spelled the name wrong.”

            “The thing was, I always had this crazy luck, either astoundingly good or obscenely bad.  And during that game, I tried to convert another character and rolled a critical hit.  And when I converted a worshipper, I also created a deity.  So our GM had to create stats for this god.  He ended up being a god of berserking, fuzzy bunny rabbits, and luck that was either extremely good or extremely bad.  So, I have Oden luck.  And you have no idea what I am talking about and why the hell am I telling you this?  Because I have diarrhea of the mouth when I get nervous, that’s why!  And God knows, I’m nervous now.”

            Adam sighed, stopped pacing, and went back to staring at Blake’s boots.  “You remember how I told you that I used to write songs?  Well, the reason I haven’t written any lately, and the reason I hadn’t touched Bessie in way too long before you showed up, was that I’d lost my inspiration.  But that changed when I met you.  For the first time, I feel like I could write songs again.  Because when two people fall in love, their hearts are joined.  Then, when you hold the person you love in your arms, and you see that love shine in their eyes?   When that happens, you can look up and see the stars shining just a little brighter than before.  The whole world seems filled with light.  And then, Blake, then your heart sings, and that’s always how I’ve written my songs.  Once upon a time, I could just think about how much I loved Behati and the songs would just tumble out.  It’s been a long time since I felt that way.  But now I think I could write songs again.  For you.”  Adam took a shaky breath and licked his lips.  “You’re in my blood, Blake, like you’re a part of me.  I know it’s crazy, but I feel like you’re that person that I’ve looked for my entire life.”  He grimaced.  “Man!  That just sounds corny as hell.”

            Silence.

            Adam squirmed, not daring to look up.  “It’s ok, if you don’t feel the same,” he ventured.  “If you don’t want a relationship, or if this is all just making you too uncomfortable, I get it.  I sprang this on you out of nowhere today, after I nearly turned you over to some asshole who would have given you to those Homeland Security goons!  I get why you were upset now.  You flat-out told me that you knew who you were.  I asked you if you knew those names, and you didn’t.  I should have trusted you, believed you!  Yeah, you’ve got brain damage, but it’s obvious you’re not stupid, and you’re not confused either.  I acted like you were an idiot, like you didn’t know what you were doing, or like you were a child and I almost got you captured!  So I get it if you’re pissed.  Then me dropping all of this on you on top of it?”  He shook his head.  “You don’t have to stay.  I doubt I would, if I was in your position.  So just walk out the door, Blake, and keep going right out of my life.  I’ll get the message.”

            Silence.  And then, the cowboy boots turned, moving away.  Adam stared at the spot where they were, hearing the door open, the boots stepping out, and then the door closing.  Outside, he could hear the sound of Blake’s boots on the pavement as the big man kept walking.  Adam kept listening, hearing the sound grow fainter and fainter.  And then finally he couldn’t hear it anymore.

            Adam forced himself to raise his head, ordered his body to move.  Numb, he went to the window and looked out.  But there was no one outside.

            Blake was gone.

            It felt like something inside of him, something frail and delicate, shattered into a million pieces.  Adam focused on breathing, hand clutching at his chest even as his other tightened on the damned bag.  He looked down, seeing the bag.  Then he hurled it into a corner.

            Adam paced a bit, still trying to remember how to breathe.  The pain in his chest had naturally ignited more pain in his head.  It was hardly the first time Adam had put his heart into someone else’s hands only to have it broken.  He was supposed to marry Behati!  But somehow, this seemed worse.  The pain of losing Blake was a physical thing, crushing him, cutting off his breath and shutting down his ability to think.  He sobbed, hating himself.  How stupid could he be?  Blake had been all this time with no one but Adam to care about him.  Of course he’d reached out, drawn close the only person in his life.  That hardly meant he’d wanted a relationship other than the close friendship they already had!  Now what would happen to Blake, out on his own, with the one person he’d counted on for help gone?

            He’d finally cried himself out and was sitting in the corner, staring at nothing and just hurting silently when his phone rang.  His heart sank when he saw that the caller was the NYPD.  “Hello?” he said cautiously.

            “I’m looking for Mr. Adam Levine?”

            “Yes, speaking?”

            “Mr. Levine, this is the NYPD,” the caller began.  “We’re calling to let you know that there’s been a rather grave mistake on our part.  Do you recall the gentlemen who spoke to you from Homeland Security?”

            “Yes, yes I do.  What about them?”

            “When they approached us, they appeared to have all the proper credentials.  But we recently discovered that we’ve been victims of a fraud.  Homeland Security denies sending any agents out, or even of having any knowledge of or interest in the events at your apartment.”

            “What?”  Adam leaned on the wall for support.  “Then who were they?”

            “The truth is, we have no idea, and that is why we’re contacting you.  Now we’re already looking for them, and we will track them down.  But since they seemed interested in you personally, we wanted to warn you.”

            “They were at the hospital,” Adam said.  “They hired some actor to say he was Blake’s brother and try to get him to go with them.  They’re after him, not me!”

            “Who is Blake?”

            “Blake Shelton, the man who rescued me when my apartment was on fire.  Listen, you need to get in touch with Shakira, the social worker at the hospital.”  Adam rattled off her contact information.

            “Alright, we’ll follow up.  In the meantime, be careful.  If you see either of these men again, contact the police immediately.  We’ll sweep in and grab them.  But do not try to approach them.  Just call us.  Alright?”

            “Yes, Sir.  Thank you for the call.”  Adam chuckled.  “You know, I’d been worried that they’d follow me home from work and find Blake.  But they probably only knew my name because I was on TV the night I found Blake.  If they’re not really Homeland Security, they wouldn’t have any way to know where I worked, would they?  And that’s also why they kept asking me to turn Blake over to them, and tried to trick me into doing it.  Because they couldn’t produce a warrant and just arrest him, could they?”

            “Mr. Levine, we don’t know anything at all about these two,” the officer advised.  “So please just be very careful.  When we get these two, we’ll let you know.”

            “Appreciate it.”

            Adam hung up.  Then he immediately bolted out the door, Blake’s name on his lips.  But Blake was long gone, and Adam didn’t even have the faintest idea of what direction he’d taken.  The sun was already low in the sky, just about to dip below the horizon.  It would be dark soon.  How could he find Blake then?

            Adam looked up at the sky.  It was, he noted with no surprise, the exact color of Blake’s eyes.  “Please, God,” he prayed.  “Please don’t let me cock this up anymore with him!  He's all alone out there, and he has no idea the lengths these people are willing to go to try to get him!  I know I don’t deserve someone like him in my life.  But regardless of how I feel about him, Blake needs help.  Help me find him, God!  Keep him safe until I do.  And thank you, regardless of how it all ends, for sending him to me.”

            He didn’t pray much as a rule, although he did consider himself spiritual.  Adam just hoped that God was listening.  He picked a direction – straight ahead – and started off at a jog.  Blake was so literal, Adam could see him walking straight out the door and just going forward.  He had no other leads.  He also had no idea how much of a head start Blake had.  But Adam was determined to find him.  Whatever happened between the two of them needed to take a backseat to finding Blake and keeping him safe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mr. Fun laughed at Adam getting left holding the bag, literally. Made a face and shook his head at the end. Said he wasn't surprised at all to find out Usher and Carson weren't really Homeland Security and wonders who they really are.
> 
> Anit, I believe this chapter should answer your questions! ;)


	12. Like A Gift From God

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adam searches for Blake

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've put a little cameo role in this chapter as the best way I know to say THANK YOU to Dragon_Rider (Queen of Shevine!) for writing what is, IMHO, the best story on these boards. All are welcome to their own opinion, this one is mine. That story can be found here:  
> http://archiveofourown.org/works/1663823
> 
> Had an immensely flattering comment and a lovely chat with a very talented artist who actually drew some comic sketches from a couple of scenes in this story! Per his request, to protect his privacy, I have posted them onto my Tumblir. Do check them out!:  
> https://funtimewriter.tumblr.com/post/160612457182/artwork-for-it-never-rains
> 
> Non-diegetic music for this piece:  
> "Listen To Your Heart" by Roxette for the first part  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLGrnmRJVS0
> 
> "Like A Prayer" by Madonna for the second part  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OECKknqIie0

            Before long, Adam was forced to slow down by a painful stitch in his side.  But he refused to stop walking.  The sun set quickly, and soon darkness fell.  With it, the scant heat of the day quickly dissipated.  Now, Adam could see his breath.  He kept moving, and before long, he had entered the city.

            Soon, Adam was deep in the city, and not the best part of it.  Out of necessity, he’d slowed to a brisk walk.  The sidewalks were crowded.  When Adam had first arrived in New York, he’d honestly believed that the city was designed to confuse tourists and newcomers.  There were so many streets and alleys, so many ways Blake could have gone.  But Adam continued going straight ahead.  _Please, Blake!  Please, let me find you!_

            The city swirled around him, oblivious to what he was thinking or feeling.  Buildings loomed overhead, casting a perpetual shadow on those below.  The wind whirled and eddied, broken by the buildings.  It picked up bits of rubbish in the streets, tossing it about in little whirlwinds of debris that rose up like birds on wing, only to fall once more and be trampled.  The flow of people on the sidewalk never ended.  Like a continuing river, nameless people passed Adam in the street, each lost in his or her own world, paying no attention to the lonely stranger or his frantic search.

            Adam came to a dead end and looked around, desperate.  The city filled his senses with confusion.  He could hear the chatter of conversation, scattered bits of music, horns, engines, and the sound of heavy equipment from construction from down the street.  The air was ripe with the cooking smells from various restaurants he passed.  For a moment, the smell of food would cover the scent of exhaust and pavement and motor oil, mixed with the unavoidable aroma of too many people living closely together.  Sometimes, the food smells from competing restaurants mixed together to create something mouthwatering.  Usually, it just clashed.  A couple pushed past him, babbling together in a foreign tongue.  Adam turned in a slow circle, jostled and bumped by people going by, scanning for a tall figure among the masses.

            But he saw no sign of Blake.

            The air quickly grew chill.  Adam zipped up his jacket, glad he’d had the presence of mind to grab it on the way out.  But what about Blake?  All he had on over his flannel shirt was a faded jean jacket.  Was he cold?  Had he ducked into a shop for warmth?  As he hadn’t eaten anything all day, surely the big man was hungry.  But Blake had no wallet, no money.  He was illiterate and couldn’t really count past ten.  Even if Blake had a wallet full of cash, would he understand how to buy food?  Would he know where or how to seek shelter for the night?

            Somehow, Adam didn’t think so.

            But now he had a problem.  The sidewalk he’d been following, the straightest path from his apartment, suddenly came to an end as the entire street was closed off for construction.  Adam could turn left or right, but couldn’t go straight ahead.  Which path did Blake choose?  Picking the correct path could bring him closer to the missing man.  But choosing poorly would only take him farther away.

            Flashing lights to his right drew his eye.  Adam turned in that direction.  It was as good as any other.

            The flashing lights turned out to be an ambulance and police cars.  A figure was on a gurney, about to be loaded into an ambulance.  Adam saw cowboy boots sticking out over the bottom of the gurney from the man’s long legs, a head of gunmetal hair…  _Blake!_

            “Blake!  Wait!” Adam yelled, bolting for the ambulance.  But as he approached, he caught sight of the man’s face.  The man, it appeared, had been in quite the scrap.  His face was swollen, battered, bruised and bloody.  But it wasn’t Blake.  Adam breathed a sigh of relief, even as his anxiety returned.  If that wasn’t Blake on the gurney, then where was he?

            Adam had turned away and was about to continue his search when his eye was caught by the woman speaking with the police.  She also had a bruised and bleeding face, a swelling mark marring the side of her face and a split lip.  From the way she was dressed, Adam realized she was likely a prostitute.

            “It’s like I said,” she was telling the officer.  “Benny hit me, and the next thing I know, this big guy comes out of nowhere.  He beat the shit out of Benny, then he came to me.  Didn’t say a word, just looked at me with those sexy blue eyes, made sure I was alright, and walked off.”

            “Excuse me!”  Adam took the woman’s arm, turning her to face him, ignoring the irritation of the officer.  “The big guy with the blue eyes, did he have on a plaid shirt with a jean jacket, blue jeans and cowboy boots?  He’d be about late thirties, gunmetal hair, hick southern accent?”

            Her eyes grew wide.  “I never heard him talk, but the rest of that, yeah!  How did you…?”

            “I’ve been looking for him!  Please, it’s very important that I find him.  Can you tell me where he went?”

            She immediately became suspicious.  “Why?”

            “That’s my friend Blake,” Adam explained.  “He was recently in a bad accident and he’s got amnesia from a head injury.  I was looking after him, but he wandered off.  If I don’t find him soon, he could get lost or hurt!  Please, would you just tell me where he went?”

            The woman looked hard at him, but apparently decided he was telling the truth because she nodded.  “Sure, hon.”  She pointed down a narrow alleyway that Adam hadn’t even considered.  “Last I saw him, he was going that way.  When you find him, give him a big hug from me!  I was so shocked I didn’t even say thank you.”

            “Thank you!” Adam called, already jogging towards the alley.  He said a silent prayer of thanks that, once more, his uncanny luck had turned good.  He was on the right track!  Leave it to Blake to stop and beat the hell out of a pimp slapping around a hooker.  If he hadn’t, Adam would have had no idea what direction to go.

            He might never have found Blake.

            The fact that he still might not find him was something Adam refused to think about.

            Adam emerged from the alley and looked hopefully around.  No sign of Blake.  Worried, he started down the sidewalk.  Ahead of him loomed the gaping entrance to the subway.  Surely Blake wouldn’t have gotten on the subway!  If he had, Adam wouldn’t be able to follow.  He’d have no way to know what train he got on, or where he’d gotten off.  Adam stood staring at the entrance, clenching his fists in indecision.  Should he go down, ask around, see if maybe someone had noticed the big man?  Or should he keep checking on the surface streets?

            Then he noticed the homeless man sitting just inside the entrance.  The man was huddled in blankets and rags, and on top of it was a familiar blue jean jacket.

            Adam dug into his wallet, produced his last twenty, and pressed it into the man’s hand.  “Can you tell me who gave you that jacket?” he asked.  “Was it a big guy, about this tall, blue eyes?”

            “Yeah, yeah,” the man wheezed.  He coughed harshly.

            “Did you see which way he went?  Did he go into the subway?”

            “No,” the man replied.  “He heard me cough and took of his coat and gave it to me just like that.  Didn’t say a word.  Then he just left.”

            “Which way did he go?”

            The man pointed.  “Went down the sidewalk that way.”  He picked up the jacket and handed it to Adam.  “Give him this back.  It’s too big for me anyway, and I’ll be warm enough here.  He was shivering before he gave it to me.  Don’t think he knows what he’s doing, to be honest.  He looked really upset and lost.”

            “Thank you so much!” Adam said, taking the jacket.

            “Don’t mention it, kid.  Go find your friend.  Ask Betty over there by the dumpster where he went, she was trying to talk to him.”

            Betty turned out to be another homeless woman.  She was clearly mentally ill, talking to Adam and several people who weren’t there.  But Betty directed him two blocks down to Ed, who sent him across the street to Jack.

            Jack turned out to be a male prostitute.  Once Adam convinced him he wasn’t looking for a date and described Blake, Jack had pointed down the street.  “I told him to head down that way a few blocks towards the bus stop.  Honestly, I thought he was a lost tourist, except he wouldn’t talk.  He scared off a couple of assholes who were bothering me, but then he just looked so sad and lost that I sent him to a bus stop.  Figured he could at least look at the map there, maybe figure out where he was.  Someone like him doesn’t belong in this part of town.”  The man’s hazel eyes gave Adam a once-over.  “For that matter, neither do you.  Go find your friend and both of you get out of here.  It’s not safe here.”

            “Thanks.”  Adam wished he had more to offer the other man.  _There, but for the grace of God, go I,_ he thought.  Of course, if Christina got him fired, becoming a street walker was still a viable career option.

            Adam moved quickly down the street, heading for the bus stop, grateful he was leaving the red light district behind him.  Once again, the sidewalks had become crowded.  He pushed through a throng of laughing people heading together down the street.

            And suddenly, there was Blake.

            The big man was leaning against the bus stop with his arms wrapped around himself and his gaze on the sidewalk, looking unhappy.  The noisy city swarmed around him, pedestrians pushing past and traffic on the street zooming by, oblivious to the man who had somehow become the center of Adam’s life.  But for Adam, the city had grown quiet and empty.  All he could see was this man, this wonderful, beautiful man that stood all alone, shivering in the cold with no hint that he’d registered Adam’s presence.

            Adam said a silent prayer of thanks, wiped at his face with his shirt, came closer and cleared his throat.  “Blake?” he began when Blake looked up.  “Hey!  I’ve been looking for you.”

            Blake didn’t respond.  He stood as he was, looking cold and lost as he gazed silently at Adam.

            “I know I just fucked up big time with you,” Adam said, “but the fact is, you’re in danger, buddy.  You know those two agents, Daly and Raymond?  Turns out they’re not really Homeland Security.  The cops are looking for them, but no one knows who they are.  I also don’t know why those two want you.  All I know is that I have to keep you safe.”

            Silence.  Blake stood as if frozen, teeth chattering, his eyes locked with Adam’s.

            Adam looked away first, staring at the sidewalk.  “Listen, this isn’t about me and you.  When I took you from the hospital, I knew I was taking a chance.  I mean, look at you!  But even more than how you look, Blake, you’re just amazing!  You filled up this empty gaping hole in my life, and I never thought that would happen.  You used to look at me, and I felt like you saw so much more than what was really there.  The way you’d smile at me, I always knew I didn’t deserve it.  Didn’t deserve you.  And now, I guess you know that, too.”  He swallowed, still not daring to look up.  “I never thought things would go this far.  And I’m sorry that it’s awkward between us now.  But I need you to come back, ok?  Please, Blake, just come home.  You’ll be warm and safe, we’ll get you something to eat, and I swear, I won’t say another thing about you and me or put any sort of pressure on you, ok?”

            Blake continued to stare at him, and Adam grimaced.  “I’m sorry, alright?  But don’t you understand, you’re in real danger here!  People are looking for you, and I don’t believe for one minute that they’ve got your best interests in mind.  Even if you’re what Pharrell believes you are, it doesn’t matter.  I won’t let anyone hurt you.  But you’re out here freezing, and you’re so alone, and if you don’t come home with me, you’ll get sick or hurt or worse!  Please, Blake, just come back for tonight, and if you don’t want to stay with me, we’ll figure something out.  Just please, please come back!”

            For a long moment, Blake simply stood as he was.  Then he slowly came closer.  The blue eyes were solemn as they regarded Adam.  He stepped forward and reached out both hands towards Adam’s face.  They felt like blocks of ice as they touched Adam’s skin.  The hands moved, and Adam realized Blake was using his thumbs to wipe away the tears that Adam hadn’t realized were flowing.  “It’s alright,” Blake said quietly.  “I wish I understood what you’re trying to say.”

            “What I’m trying to say is that I pushed you too hard and too fast.  I get that.  And I hope we can move past this whole thing and be friends again, like we were.”  Adam finally dared to look up, ignoring the tears that now flowed freely.  “I need you, Blake!  Even if we’re just friends, I need you in my life.  You know I’m in love with you, buddy, and that’s something I gotta deal with.  But first, I just need to make sure you’re safe.  And that means you gotta come home, alright?”

            Adam was braced for Blake to refuse.  His mind was already racing, trying to come up with the words that could sway Blake, convince him to come home.  His muscles were tense, prepared to grab Blake and physically drag him back if necessary.  But instead, Blake simply nodded.  “Alright.”

            It was back, that smile that brought out his dimples and made Adam feel weak in the knees.  The chattering teeth and lips that had gone purplish with cold were definitely detractions.  But at least Blake was safe.  Adam said a quick prayer of thanks.  Suddenly shy, he looked down and thrust Blake’s jacket at him.  “The guy you gave this to said to give it back,” he said.  “You really made an impression on him, big guy.  Hell, you made an impression on a lot of people tonight!  I’m supposed to give you a hug from the prostitute whose pimp you kicked the shit out of.  You’re something else, aren’t you?  Whatever, just put this on before you freeze to death, you dumbass!”

            Blake accepted the jacket and quickly shrugged into it.  “Dumbass,” he called.

            “Asshole,” Adam retorted.  Looking up, he smiled, and Blake’s smile grew wider in return.  Then Adam tentatively reached out and pulled Blake into a hug.  “From the prostitute with the beat-down pimp,” he explained, quickly letting go.

            But Blake’s arms went around him and held him tight.  Adam clung to Blake, not wanting to let go.  But then he felt the big man shiver.  The light jacket he now wore offered little protection from the cold.  “Come on,” he urged, pulling away.  “Let’s get you home.”

            “Alright.”

            The two started down the street.  Adam looked around, getting his bearings.  He’d gotten to know most of New York, but he wasn’t familiar with this part.  Still, he thought he had a fairly good idea of where they were.  Adam practically skipped along the edge of the sidewalk, so happy to have found Blake again that he thought his heart might burst.

            And that was when someone running through the crowded sidewalk shoved his way through between them, bumping hard into Adam.

            Already off-balance from walking on the edge of the sidewalk, Adam fell off, stumbling out into the street.  There was a loud blare of a horn, and the squeal of tires.  Adam looked up to see the grill of a city bus bearing down on him.

            All of his life flashed before Adam’s eyes as the grill loomed, blocking out the entire world.  Too fast.  Too close to dodge.  Adam threw his hands up over his face and prepared for the hit.

            But then suddenly Blake was there, jumping between Adam and the bus, throwing his arms around him.

            The impact was tremendous, even though the driver was standing on the brakes.  The inertia of the bus brought the grill slamming into Blake’s unprotected body.  Adam heard the big man grunt in pain, heard the snap of bones as they were both thrown forward, Blake’s body cushioning Adam, bearing the brunt of the terrible impact until they both flew into the street…

            …Except that didn’t happen.  Even as the horrible scene flashed through Adam’s mind, the world was suddenly quiet and still.  He was standing in Blake’s arms, clinging in fright to the other man’s neck, and they were both surrounded by a wall of white that pressed against him. 

            _What the fuck?_

            Adam looked up, peered at the wall of white, and finally realized what he was seeing.  Feathers.  White feathers, glistening with a faint rainbow sheen, were all around them.  They formed a solid wall around him and Blake, soft as a cloud, muffling all sound and almost seeming to glow.  Somehow, he and Blake had been cushioned from the hit of the bus by this mysterious wall of feathers that had come out of nowhere to protect them.  Adam could only blink stupidly, staring at the feathers, his mind trying and failing to understand what was going on.

            But Blake didn’t seem surprised at all.  Without a word, he gathered Adam up, carrying him bridal style, and started walking.  How could he even see where they were going?  They were still surrounded by the curved wall of feathers that was somehow wrapped around them.  But then Adam looked up and realized the truth.  Of course.  The wall wasn’t a sphere, more like a curved tube that the two of them were somehow tucked inside of.  Blake was tall enough that he could see over top of it.  Looking up, Adam could see the familiar night sky through the circle of feathers.  Except that wasn’t familiar, either.  He couldn’t put his finger on it, but something about the sky seemed different.  Almost alien.

            And then Blake reached his destination, and the feathered wall[ divided neatly in two](https://funtimewriter.tumblr.com/post/160854616032/more-rains-artwork), revealing itself to be a set of massive white wings that originated from somewhere behind Blake.  As Blake stopped, still smiling gently down at Adam in his arms, the wings folded back behind him and vanished.

            The moment they did, the noise of the city returned.

            Adam looked around.  They had moved several blocks down from the bus stop.  He could see the bus driver and several people milling around, looking under the bus and all around in confusion.  Adam wondered what they’d seen?  It was obvious that they’d seen Adam nearly get struck.  But then what?  Had he disappeared?  Had anyone seen Blake?  What must they be thinking?

            Adam shouldn’t be alive right now.  He should be a bleeding mess in the street and a blurb on the news.  But instead…

            Instead…

            Shocked, Adam looked back at Blake.  “Blake?” he squeaked.  “You… You’re…!”

            The big man was looking down at Adam with that familiar adoring smile.  He gently lowered Adam’s feet to the ground, helpfully holding onto the smaller man as Adam swayed, shock making him weak.  Adam clung to Blake, shaking, still not entirely sure of what had just happened.  “Blake, those were wings!  Those were fucking _wings,_ Blake!  You’re an angel?  Blake, what the fuck is going on?”

            “Escort,” Blake explained.  “Blake Shelton escort Adam Levine!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Flashback**  
> *Fun strolls uninvited into Mr. Fun's computer room, plops into a chair, and starts rocking back and forth*  
> Mr. Fun: *knows the signs* Got another story idea?  
> Fun: I was thinking about doing this story about this complete and total loser. *Goes on to describe the plot of this fic*  
> Mr. Fun: Sounds good. This a new novel, or another Shevine piece?  
> Fun: *gets a wild light in her eyes* Ooo, that would make a fantastic Shevine piece!  
> Mr. Fun: Adam would probably be the loser, I assume Blake is his buddy?  
> Fun: Actually, I was thinking Blake could be the angel  
> Mr. Fun: *freezes with a funny look on his face* If you make Blake an angel, your readers will love you forever!  
> Fun: Or, they'll hate it and drum me off the boards.  
> Mr. Fun: Or that.  
> **Fast forward to present time**  
> I wonder which it will be?
> 
> Anit, **PLATINUM STAR** How the bleeding buggering fuck did you figure out the biggest plot point of the story after my very first post?!!! You lot are just getting too clever for me! I'm going to have to either step it up or hang it up!


	13. The Heavenly Equivalent Of A Cool One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now that he knows what Blake is, Adam considers the future. But Blake is more interested in the past.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some of my more observant readers may notice how short these chapters have become. Well, here's the thing, luvs. Blake's primer is, at this point in the story, nearly thirty pages long, and every chapter it gets longer. Those who have been reading my stories and notes know how anal retentive I am about editing, and that I do no less than five complete edits before anything touches these boards. With the mechanics of this story, that is very far from easy, especially now that Blake is moving from sentence fragments to complete sentences. For any who do not know, Blake has a primer where I have copied and pasted every word Adam has said in his presence. Everything that Blake says comes directly from that primer. So when I change anything in the course of editing, I also have to go back and change the primer and then check the rest of the story to make sure Blake's vocabulary still matches. At this point, it's taking me all day to do half a dozen pages in Word (for reference, I typically pound out 20 or so pages a night when I'm working on my novels). If I posted my usual book-length chapters, it would be days between postings, and my lovelies, you keep asking for updates and I hate to disappoint or keep you waiting. So this is how I am compromising. By converting most of my scene changes to chapter breaks, I can pare the chapters down to about half of what they were in the previous stories. That lets me potentially continue the daily updates without sacrificing story or my standards. So enjoy!
> 
> The movie Adam references here is "Young Guns," in particular this scene:  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHePV4Bw2SE

            There was a picture Adam had seen somewhere.  It showed two frightened children crossing a rickety bridge.  Behind them, unseen by the children, hovered a beautiful angel.  Her hands were outstretched as she followed, guiding the children.  _Escorting_ them on their dangerous journey across the bridge.

            _“Blake Shelton, escort!”_

            Adam barely remembered the trip home.  His thoughts had been in a state of chaos as he’d walked with his arm around Blake’s waist and Blake’s arm protectively over his shoulders.  In truth, Blake had gotten them both back to the apartment more than Adam had.  Once they’d returned, Adam had wordlessly directed Blake into a hot shower, inflated the mattress, got his own shower when Blake was finished, ordered Chinese with the last of his cash, and eaten.  Through it all, he and Blake hadn’t said a word to each other.  Blake simply watched him, and Adam went through the motions of what he was doing in a daze.

            But now that they’d both showered and eaten and the initial shock had finally worn off, Adam really felt like drinking, probably an entire liquor store’s worth of booze.  But even if he had a drop of adult beverage in the apartment, he was all too aware that there was not enough alcohol in existence to deal with what he’d seen tonight.  Besides, alcohol couldn’t wash out the fact that he’d come on to his own guardian angel with a bag full of condoms and lube in his hand, now, could it?  Adam could imagine that angels saw a lot of strange shit, but he still doubted that was something that happened often.

            Blake himself was seated in his underwear on the floor in front of the TV as though nothing had happened.  Of course, to the angel, this was probably just another day in the line of duty.  He’d saved his charge from getting hit by a bus.  Now it was time to relax.  Adam pictured him sitting on a cloud with his fellow angels, the heavenly equivalent of a cool one in his hand, adjusting his halo like he did with his cowboy hat as he dished about Adam.  _“Yeah, my guy almost got hit by a bus today, right after he told me he wanted a relationship with me.  Had condoms and lube all ready!  I gotta tell ya, I’m getting hazard pay on this job!”_

            What had really happened tonight?  He’d come on to Blake, and Blake had walked out.  Then Adam had followed, tracing Blake’s trail by the people he’d stopped to help along the way.  In retrospect, that made sense.  Blake was an angel, after all, and helping people was what angels did, right?  But then he’d found Blake, talked him into coming home.  And then he’d gotten knocked out into the street, and the bus was coming…

            …And his angel had saved him.

            Had Blake somehow planned the whole thing?  Had he known Adam would be in mortal danger tonight?  Blake had been right there with Adam, exactly where he’d needed to be to save Adam.  But if Blake hadn’t run off, Adam never would have been walking along that street in the first place.  And wouldn’t it have been easier to simply grab Adam like a normal man and keep him from falling out into the street?  Or maybe just keep that idiot from bumping him?  Instead, Blake had been forced to jump into the street after him and reveal himself to save Adam.  Didn’t that mean Blake had been just as surprised as Adam?  Just thinking about it hurt his brain.

            Adam had his phone in his hand and was staring at it, trying to decide if he should call Pharrell.  This was the conspiracy theory to end all conspiracy theories.  An angel, walking around in human form, protecting Adam from God knew what!  And what did that make Daly and Raymond?  Demons?  Fellow angels, out to drag Blake back to heaven?  What the hell - no pun intended - was Blake doing out of heaven anyway?  But it did explain a lot, like how Blake happened to come along when Adam needed him most, saving him the night of the fire.  Now Adam understood why Blake was so protective of him, and so gentle towards him even when he’d frightened everyone else at the hospital.  It even explained why Blake could only repeat what Adam had already said.  If Blake was Adam’s guardian angel, well, that meant they were linked, right?  His link with Adam would let Blake be able to understand the meanings of the words being used, when he might not understand someone else well enough to be able to capture the words.  It explained why Blake had so much trouble with spoken language, why he couldn’t read or write, even why Adam had to teach him everything from feeding himself to taking a shit.  Blake had never had to do any of those things before!

            But as an angel, Blake shouldn’t need to do any of those things.  Blake was strong, but he should be far stronger, shouldn’t he?  The staff at the hospital had tied him to his bed because he’d been violent.  Shouldn’t he have been able to rip himself free?  Where was the mighty avenging angel?  At the hospital, they’d done blood tests that had come back normal.  So apparently, Blake was currently in a body that could at least mimic that of a human, a body that was flesh and blood and subject to all the weaknesses of a human being.  That explained his head injury.  But if Blake could still transform at will and pull himself out of the physical realm to save Adam, then why was he shivering in the cold?  It seemed obvious that Blake had no previous conception of things like hunger or cold.  If he’d used this human form before, it hadn’t been long enough to experience those.  So what had changed?  Why was Blake suddenly running around in human form for days at a time, yet able to pop out his wings and use his true form when Adam needed him the most?

            He didn’t know.

            All Adam knew was that he’d never felt so simultaneously safe and terrified in his life.  Every stupid boneheaded thing he’d done in Blake’s presence was coming back to haunt him as he stared at the oblivious angel.  Coming on to Blake was only the worst.  Just today, he’d let a cop think that Blake was a hired escort, basically a prostitute.  And speaking of prostitution, he’d told Blake about his relationship with Christina, his married boss.  He’d even told Blake about how he’d lied on his application, and why he hadn’t finished school, all but screaming the fact that he’d been living in sin with Behati.  For God’s sake – no pun intended – Adam should have a demon ready to drag him into hell, not an angel saving him from a bus!

            And what the hell – pun intended this time – was Adam going to do with Blake tomorrow, while he went to work?  Well, that much hadn’t changed.  Blake was going to be spending more time alone behind a locked door.  Not much Adam could do to change it.

            Adam tried to imagine Pharrell’s reaction when he heard this one.  Telling Pharrell was a given.  There was no way Adam could deal with this alone.  If Pharrell called him crazy, well, that was the pot calling the kettle black.  Adam imagined he’d have a lot of explaining to do.  But in the end, he believed that Pharrell would listen and eventually believe him.  Pharrell was his only friend, after all.  That was kind of in his job description.

            If there was one thing that concerned Adam the most, it was how fiercely protective Blake was of him.  When Blake had seen Adam struggling with Raymond, he’d become so enraged that, on retrospect, Raymond had just narrowly avoided a smiting of Biblical proportions.  Blake had looked so angry that he’d literally appeared ready to commit murder.  So what would happen if, or more likely when, Christina called Adam to her office during his lunch break?  Blake had been furious over the way she’d treated Adam, announcing that he would “handle” it.  What, exactly, would a guardian angel determined to “escort” his charge do if he happened to be present while Adam was enduring more of Christina’s unwelcomed attentions?  Follow Adam to work and confront her?  Part of Adam would be delighted to see Christina turned into a pillar of salt or struck by a bolt of lightning, vaporized instantly leaving behind only her smoldering high heels.  But neither of those options bore well for keeping Blake’s secret.  Adam had been able to keep Blake from doing cosmic violence to Raymond, but he’d had help from Pharrell, and Raymond had wisely backed off.

            Somehow, Adam doubted that Christina would be likely to back off.  The woman was determined to get what she wanted, and right now, what she wanted was Adam.  Adam had no doubt that she’d call him to her office tomorrow during his lunch.  Alright, then.  He’d have to have a long talk with Blake, convince him that he needed to stay in the apartment with the door locked.  He’d done it before without complaint, but that was before he’d known that Adam was being sexually harassed at work by his horny boss.  As Adam’s guardian angel, in retrospect it was odd Blake didn’t already know.  But no matter, he had to make sure Blake didn’t follow tomorrow to confront Christina.  Now he just had to figure out how to do that.

            “Sex on your couch,” Blake called.

            Adam blinked, jolted out of his thoughts.  “Huh?”

            Blake indicated the television.  “Sex on your couch,” he repeated.

            For the first time, Adam took note of what Blake was watching.  A naked couple was going at it on the screen, moaning loudly with exaggerated expressions of pleasure while they exchanged sloppy kisses and groped each other.  Adam stared for a moment.  Then he shook his head.  “Yes, Blake, they are having sex on the couch.  Obviously, despite what Pharrell and Jenny thought, you and I did not do that.  Keep watching, buddy, they’ll probably do it on a lot of other things, too.”  So his guardian angel was watching a porno.  Big deal.  He might learn a thing or two.

            Adam went back to his thoughts, his eyes on Blake’s broad back.  The bare skin showed no sign of being anything other than human.  There was nothing to indicate where his wings attached.  But that made sense, too.  When Blake opened his wings, he’d moved himself and Adam out of the physical realm and into some kind of weird spirit world.  It was clear to Adam that doing so had caused them both to vanish, which was why he’d seen people looking for them under the bus.  If Blake simply hung out in the spirit world, no one would be able to detect his presence.  _We’re in the spirit world, asshole, they can’t see us!_ Adam thought, remembering the movie quote.  _Did you see the size of that chicken?_

            But even as Adam joked to himself, he was already discarding the idea.  He immediately saw two problems with it.  The first was the question of Daly and Raymond.  It was clear to Adam that, whoever and whatever they really were, neither of the two had been able to detect Blake at the hospital, while Blake was in his human form, until Raymond had actually seen him.  But Adam didn’t know if they might be able to sense Blake in the spirit world.  He didn’t want to take the risk.  Whatever had happened to Blake, he seemed somehow vulnerable and in need of help.  Adam would do what it took to protect his friend.  That meant he had to be clever.  That meant he needed to do research.  He made a mental note to grab Pharrell after work and take a trip to the library.

            The second problem with Blake hiding in the spirit world was that Adam likely wouldn’t be able to detect Blake’s presence, either.  The unpredictable angel could get bored and wander anywhere, up to and including out in the streets, or worse, to work and then into Christina’s office during Adam’s lunch.  Adam thought back to how his car had looked, flattened to the pavement.  He had no doubt that Blake was somehow responsible for that.  But if Blake had done that because he’d fallen from a cloud, got into a fight, didn’t like the color or simply sneezed, the sheer destructive power behind the act was sobering.  Whatever Blake might encounter, Adam wanted to be aware of it and have a chance to head off any problems.

            Tomorrow was going to be a real challenge.

            Well, first things first.  It was eleven o’clock at night, too late at night to call or text Pharrell, so Adam sent an e-mail.  He titled it “Meet Blake” and explained that Blake represented an authority somewhat higher than the U.S. government.  Then he instructed Pharrell to call him on his commute in.  Adam could not wait for that conversation.

            Meanwhile, Blake was frowning in confusion as he watched the porno.  Adam decided he’d rather not discuss the birds and the bees tonight and switched off the TV.  “Listen, buddy,” he began as Blake blinked at the now-blank tube.  “I gotta lock you in the apartment again tomorrow when I go to work.  And I need you to give me your word that you’ll stay here, ok?”

            The look Blake gave him made Adam squirm.

            “Come on, buddy, what else can I do?” Adam protested.  “It’s not like I can take you to work!”

            “Don’t want to be locked in.  Take me to work!” Blake urged. 

            “Not a chance in hell, excuse the expression.  I promise I won’t keep locking you in forever, ok?  It's only one more day!”

            “No!  Don’t lock me in.  Take me to work!  Please, Adam!  I don’t want you to leave me alone again!”

            Adam shook his head.  “Damn, you’re getting so much better at stringing sentences together.  Look, just promise me you’ll stay here tomorrow.”

            Blake’s fists clenched and he looked down, rolling his lips into his mouth.  “Please let me out?  Don’t leave me alone again!  I came back to be with you!”

            “Ugh, please don’t be like this, Blake!”  Adam sighed.  “Fine, we’ll talk about it tomorrow and I’ll figure something out.  But right now I’m fried, buddy.  It’s pretty late.”

            Adam hesitated, glancing towards the mattress he’d thoughtlessly set up with all the blankets and both pillows.  “Um, we need to figure out sleeping arrangements,” he continued, considering his words.  “After today, and what I told you, everything that happened?  I get that you’re not comfortable around me.”

            “I need you in my life,” Blake told him.  He suddenly looked very upset.  “Dammit!  I don’t want to go!”

            Adam was taken aback.  “Huh?”

            Blake’s blue eyes were full of pain.  “You’ll finally be able to go back to where you belong, with people who love you and were worried about you,” he said.  “I know I have to give him up.  Just walk out the door, Blake, and keep going right out of my life.”  He shook his head violently.  “I don’t want to go, Rockstar!  Escort Adam Levine!”

            “What?  _What?”_   Adam sputtered.  “Did I say all that?  Holy mother of fuck, is _that_ why you left?”

            “He’s going to take you home, buddy.  You’ll finally be able to go back to where you belong, with people who love you and were worried about you.  Don’t you love me?” Blake asked.  His blue eyes were full of anguish.  “You don’t have to stay.  I doubt I would, if I was in your position.  I don’t understand!  You tell me you love me.  You tell me to go!  I don’t want to go.  What do you mean?  Why don’t you want me?  Why did you tell me to go?”

            Adam groaned.  “Dammit, Blake, you misunderstood!  I never wanted you to leave, buddy!  I just wanted you to be free to make your own choices.  If you weren’t comfortable with me, I wanted you to know that I wouldn’t hold it against you if you left.”  He suddenly stiffened, his breath catching.  “Wait.  You don’t want to go?  Even with all I said, how I feel about you?”

            Blake looked confused.  “I’m not going to judge you.  I wish I understood what you’re trying to say.”

            And then it finally clicked for Adam.  “You don’t understand any of that, do you?” he asked.  “You’re confused because you don’t know anything at all about relationships for the same reason you didn’t know how to eat or wash yourself!  You weren’t upset at what I told you because you didn’t understand it!  That’s why you thought I was telling you to leave!”  He groaned, clutching at his hair.  “Dammit, you’re such an idiot, Levine!  Look, Blake, I don’t want you to leave.  I don’t ever want you to leave, ok?  I couldn’t be happier if you stayed in my life until it ended and we both walked into the afterlife arm in arm!  But there are some crazy human emotions involved here, and right now, I’m so fried and exhausted that I have no idea how to explain them to you.  I don’t even know where to begin!  But bottom line is, no, Blake.  I don’t want you to go.  I’m just an idiot who keeps forgetting how fucking literal you are!”

            Before he could think to stop himself, Adam had thrown himself at Blake, his arms tight around the larger man.  “Don’t ever leave me, Blake,” he pleaded.  “I cannot imagine my life without you in it!”  He got hold of himself, let go, and took a step back.  Suddenly, he couldn’t meet Blake’s eyes.  “I’ll make you a promise, ok?” he said.  “If one of us leaves the other, it will be me, and it will be because you ask me to go.  How’s that?”

            “Idiot.”  Blake smiled.  Then he suddenly grabbed Adam and hugged him tightly.  “I love you, Rockstar.  I don’t want you to leave.”

            “I’m not going anywhere, buddy,” Adam assured, hugging him back.  “But honestly, as much as I’d like to put this whole thing off until I’m rested and can think straight?  There is only one bed here.  So that means we’re going to have to at least try to have this conversation.”  He squirmed free and stepped back, considering Blake.  “Ok, do you understand anything at all about what it means when you tell someone you love them?”

            Blake hugged him again.  Adam laughed, patted him, and pulled free once more.  “Ok, yes, that’s love.  But here’s the thing.  Love comes in a lot of different forms.  Like I love Pharrell, but only as a friend.  He’s someone I like to spend time with, but not someone I want to have sex with.”

            Blake looked at the television.  “Sex on the couch?”

            “Yes, but there’s different levels of sex, too.  What you saw on the boob tube just now wasn’t the kind of sex you have when you’re in love.  That was just about physical pleasure.  When you’re really attracted to someone, when they fill up so much of your life that it’s like they’re part of you…”

            “You’re in my blood, like you’re a part of me,” Blake said.  “When two people fall in love, their hearts are joined.  You filled up this empty gaping hole in my life.  I think I could write songs for you.  I feel like you’re that person that I’ve looked for my entire life.”

            Adam sucked in his breath.  “Yeah,” he said quietly.  “Like that.”

            The next thing Adam knew, Blake had pulled him close once again and was kissing him.  Adam was suddenly in danger of passing out as his heartrate skyrocketed.  Blake’s strong arms were around him, his lips pressed against his own.  He felt dizzy when Blake finally broke the kiss and let him go.  “Sex on the couch,” Blake announced.

            Suddenly, Adam realized what had just happened.  “Blake?” he said weakly.  “You cannot go around practicing the things you see on TV, alright?  That is really not cool.”

            “Not cool.”  Blake sounded contrite.  His shoulders hunched and his head lowered.  “Sorry.  Um, you ok, man?”

            “Yeah, sure, fine.”  Adam’s legs were wobbly.  He managed to make it to the inflated mattress without falling over and quickly sat down.  His heart was still racing the Indy 500 in his chest.  Definitely time to change the subject.  “Right!” he announced.  “Sleeping arrangements!  It is officially bedtime for Bonzo.”  He considered Blake.  “You’re always awake every time I wake up.  Do you even sleep?”

            Blake shook his head no.

            “The one thing about you that shows you’re not human, and I missed it.  Ok, that means we have several choices here,” Adam continued.  “Since I do sleep, I am claiming this mattress and hereby proclaiming it Adamland!  Now, you are welcome to join me, or you can stay up and…”

            Blake was suddenly on the mattress.  He grabbed Adam and cuddled him like a six foot squirming teddy bear.

            “You giant winged jackass!” Adam protested.  “Stop grabbing me!  There are implications with the two of us…”

            “You’re such an idiot, Levine!” Blake grumbled.  He planted a kiss on the back of Adam’s neck, and Adam instantly went still.  Then he once again covered Adam’s eyes with his hand.  “Sleep.”

            And once again, Adam instantly fell asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mr. Fun thinks Adam needs to be a bit more careful about what he says.


	14. Late Night Planning Session

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adam has a terrifying visitor in the middle of the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A quick word about the MCD tag, as it seems to be on everyone's mind:  
> Those who have read my previous stories know that I am all about storyline. The last time I had a MCD, which was in "Spoils Of War," it represented a major turning point in the story and that was precisely why it happened. In the case of this story, it is again a major plot point. I do not kill off major characters randomly or on a whim. This was something I had planned. When it happens, it will fit in with the rest of the plot. That being said, no story is worth being triggered! If you feel that anything I tag may trigger you, my advice is to consider carefully before reading. While sometimes that can be helpful and a safe release, if it's going to cause distress it may not be worth it. Some options I have offered are to read the comments after each chapter, as I enjoy discussing the storyline with my readers and it's fairly easy to pick out major plot points just from comments, e-mail me for a dry "this is what happened this chapter" summary after each post, or simply read another fic that won't trigger you. I put a great deal of time and effort on my tags, check them frequently and update. So if I ever miss something, please do let me know!
> 
> Now on with the story!

            Adam was deep into a dream involving singing jelly donuts and a Ferris wheel when he was suddenly jerked off the mattress onto the floor.  Before he was completely awake, a hand was over his mouth, and a powerful arm clamped his arms to his sides.  Adam immediately woke up and panicked, thrashing and kicking.

            But Adam’s attacker turned out to be Blake.  For some reason, Blake had pulled him off the bed in the middle of the night and was dragging him back into the bathroom.  Once inside, Blake kicked the door shut and twisted around until he could reach the knob and lock it without losing his grip on Adam.  Then he pulled a struggling, confused Adam with him into the tub, pushed the door closed with a foot, and then forced Adam down in the tub.  His hand was still clamped tightly over Adam’s mouth.  Now Blake’s weight was pressing onto Adam.  Adam was folded uncomfortably into the tub with Blake mostly on top of him.  It was hard to breathe.  He kicked at Blake and strained to free his arms, trying to twist his head free of the hand over it so he could talk.

            “Stop!” Blake hissed.  “Just lie still!”

            Blake’s voice was a harsh whisper, and the urgency in it caused Adam to instantly go still.  He waited, expecting some sort of explanation.  But Blake went silent, holding onto him, showing no sign of letting him go any time soon.

            The inside of the bathroom was dark as a tomb.  Adam, uncomfortable, wanted to shift.  But as he lay under Blake, he could hear the quickness of the big man’s breath, feel the pounding of his heart.  The arms that held Adam were tense.  Something had spooked Blake.  What could spook an angel?

            Then he sensed something coming.  It wasn’t a physical thing, nothing he could really see or hear.  But a strange _something_ was approaching.  It lingered outside of the apartment building, something dark and cold and malevolent.  Adam got the impression of something somehow searching, peering through the darkness.

            And then, somehow, it was in the apartment.

            Blake’s arm tightened around Adam.  The hand over his mouth forced Adam’s head into Blake’s shoulder as he tensed.  Blake’s head was up, looking towards the thing in their apartment, every muscle like a coiled snake ready to strike.  Now Adam could hear something, movement in the apartment.

            Adam couldn’t remember a time when he’d ever been more frightened in his life.  He could smell something, like rotten eggs or gas.  Sulfur?  The thing was out in the main room where Adam had just been sleeping on the mattress.  But now it was moving, heading towards the bedroom.  He could hear the closet door open, hear the rustle as it poked through the bags of clothing that Adam hadn’t yet gotten around to hanging up.  Something sniffed, snorted like a giant dog.

            The thing moved again.  Adam could hear scratching, the sound of nails, or claws, moving over linoleum.  Whatever had intruded into their apartment, it was in the kitchen, right outside of the bathroom door.

            Blake sucked in his breath and lowered his head, pressing himself farther down on Adam in the tub.  Adam was having real trouble breathing now, but he considered it the least of his worries.  Outside, something was turning the knob on the bathroom door.

            The air grew heavy, the sulfur smell becoming thick.  Somehow the darkness in the bathroom became even darker, darker than Adam could imagine, a dark that was somehow physical.  The temperature didn’t change, but the room had grown cold all the same.  It was a spiritual thing, a sense of a cold presence that filled the room as the claws on linoleum sound moved until it was right next to the tub.

            All it had to do was open the shower door, and it would find them.

            _Please, God, please don’t let it find us, please just let it go away, please dear God please!_

            Claws clicked.  Something brushed against the shower door, pulling it open a couple of inches and Adam was nearly crushed as Blake’s grip on him grew painfully tight.  But the monster in the darkness was only turning around.  It was moving again, the click of its claws now outside of the bathroom, back in the living area.

            Then it was outside the house.

            Finally, it was gone.

            For a long time, the two men stayed where they were.  But Adam needed to breathe.  He strained, pulling at Blake’s arm and shifting, trying once more to get Blake to let him go, let him talk.  And finally, Blake got up and let him go.

            “What the everloving fuck was that?” Adam whispered.

            Blake didn’t answer.  Adam heard him fumbling for the door, unlocking it, and then a bit of light came into the bathroom as he carefully opened the door and peered out.  Then he cautiously moved out into the kitchen.

            Adam climbed out of the tub and followed, looking out after him.  The big man had moved into the living area and was looking out the window.  When Adam stumbled in the dim light and made a small noise, his head whipped around.  In the scant light from the street, Adam could see his wide eyes, his frightened expression.  Whatever had just been in their apartment, Blake seemed terrified of it.

            That scared Adam even more.  He moved quickly to Blake and clung to him.  “What was it?  A demon?  What the fuck did it want?  What’s going on, Blake?  Will it come back?”

            Blake shook his head and shrugged his shoulders at the same time.

            That was not the answer Adam had hoped to get.  “What was it doing in our apartment?” he pressed.  “Why did it come in here?”

            “Giant winged jackass,” Blake growled.  “Idiot!  Stupid!  Can’t fight like this.”

            “Like what?” Adam pressed.

            Blake looked at him and shook his head.  “You’re in real danger here.  I can’t escort you like this.  Can’t fight!”

            “Then tell me what to do, buddy.  What do we do?”

            Blake looked around.  “Vacate the premises.”

            Adam stopped breathing for a moment.  “You think it will come back?”

            Blake only shrugged.

            That was enough for Adam.  “Is it safe to turn on the lights?”  When Blake nodded, Adam switched on the lights and quickly dressed, tossing Blake a set of clothes.  “I don’t think we can move again, buddy,” he warned.  “Not unless we move into a cardboard box, anyway.  Do we need to leave for good?”

            Blake shook his head.  “I don’t know.”

            Adam grimaced.  “Ok, for tonight, it looks like we’re crashing on Pharrell.”  He glanced at the clock.  “Holy shit, it’s four am!  Jenny’s going to kill us, but we don’t have a choice.  I don’t have enough money left for a hotel room.”  He paused.  “That thing, whatever it was, it can’t follow us to Pharrell’s, can it?”

            “Don’t think so.”

            “Good.  We’d have been camping on a park bench otherwise.  Ok, let’s motor, buddy.  I really do not want to stay here any longer right now.”

****

            “He’s an agent for what?”

            “Not agent, Pharrell, angel!  He’s got wings and everything!”

            “Adam, what the hell have you been smoking?”

            “Listen, dickhead, I’m dead serious!”  Adam told Pharrell what had happened with the bus and at their apartment.  He and Blake were on their way to Pharrell’s place.  Adam had called his friend, rousing him out of a sound sleep.  But Pharrell sounded wide awake by the time Adam finished.

            He and Jenny were waiting anxiously at the door when they arrived.  Jenny was holding a frying pan, while Pharrell had one of the twins’ baseball bats in each hand.  Adam eyed them.  “Um, what are you two going to do with those?”

            “Probably nothing, but I feel better, ok?  Shut the fuck up and get inside!”  Pharrell’s eyes were wide and locked onto Blake.

            “I know, trust me, I know!” Adam called as they went inside and Jenny locked the door behind them.  “I was pretty blown away at first, too.  But he’s the same guy he always was.”

            “Good, then he can help me with this,” Pharrell grunted.  He was busy pushing a recliner in front of the door.  Blake quickly assisted, and soon the heavy piece of furniture was blocking the entrance.

            Adam looked around.  Every window was covered with plywood.  Jenny saw him looking and sighed.  “I always told him he was a damned fool, setting up those barricades for the windows,” she explained.  “Now, I’m just grateful he did it!  Wasn’t ten minutes, and the house was a fortress.  Ain’t nothing going to get in here tonight!”

            “It’s not the bomb shelter I’m saving up to build, but it’s a start,” Pharrell said proudly.  “And now, maybe I can build it without someone telling me what an idiot I am!”

            “Ok, you were right, I was wrong, but it wasn’t about any damned government conspiracy!” Jenny defended.  “This is way bigger!”

            “And now I’ll be altering the plans to include whatever I can find as protection against demons, believe me!” Pharrell assured her.  “But meanwhile, we’re safe enough in here.”

            Adam decided against reminding them that the thing that had been in his apartment had no problem passing through solid doors and walls.

            The group headed into the kitchen, where Jenny poured them all glasses of steaming hot chocolate.  Pharrell wordlessly tipped a flask into his and handed it to Adam, who did the same.  He was about to hand it back when Jenny wordlessly took it from his hand and dumped some of the pungent liquid into her own drink.  “You want some, Blake?”

            “Maybe not a good idea,” Adam called.  “We don’t know how it will affect him.  You know, Jen, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you drink.”

            “I don’t often,” she said, handing the flask back to Pharrell.  “But I am tonight.”

            Pharrell was staring at Blake again.  His face showed a mixture of fear and awe.  “I did some stupid shit in my life,” he said.  “I slept around a bit before I met Jenny, and we got married real young because, well, the truth is I got her pregnant.”

            “I had about two months of twin baby boys under my wedding dress,” Jenny confessed.  “And I was no saint either!  I lied, I stole my momma’s cigarettes and smoked them with my friends…”

            “I did drugs in high school,” Pharrell called.

            “I told everyone Mary Higgins was a slut because the boy I liked had a crush on her.”

            “I took my uncle’s car and went joyriding, hit a guard rail, brought it back, and let him think it was a hit and run!”

            “I was the one who broke that glass ornament that Pharrell’s grandmother gave his mother!”

            “I was the one who…”

            “Guys!” Adam called.  “Would you please stop confessing all your sins to Blake?  He’s an angel, not a priest!”

            “Yeah, Adam, that puts him just a bit closer to God than the priest, doesn’t it?” Pharrell retorted.  “I’m sorry, but there is an angel sitting at my dining room table!  That makes a man do a certain amount of soul searching, you know?”

            “Pharrell, this is the third time he’s sat here!” Adam pointed out.  “He didn’t ask to hear confession the last two times he was here, and I really don’t think he wants to hear it now, do you, Blake?”

            Blake shrugged.  “I don’t mind.”

            Adam grimaced.  “Dammit, hear their confessions later, Blake!  Right now, we need to figure out what we are going to do.  That was a demon at our apartment, wasn’t it?  And you think it came for you?”  When Blake nodded, he went on.  “If that is the case, then I absolutely can’t leave you alone at the apartment.  And I’m sorry, but I won’t risk putting Pharrell and his family in danger, either.  I only came here tonight because I had no other choice.  But what the hell am I going to do?  I need options!”

            Silence.  The four sat at the table, brows furled in thought as they sipped their drinks.  “I was raised Catholic,” Jenny ventured.  “There’s a lot of information available about angels.  How about after work tomorrow, well, today, we do some research?  After all, we can’t really make any sort of plan until we understand what it is we’re dealing with, right?”

            “Yeah, I thought about doing research myself,” Adam said.

            “I don’t get it!” Pharrell exclaimed.  He turned to Blake.  “Blake, even if that was a demon, you’re an angel!  You should have gone all holier-than-thou and smote its sorry ass right back to Hell!  What’s going on that you can’t fight it?”

            “Handcuffs,” Blake explained.  “Not handcuffs, but I don’t have the right words.  I can’t fight!”

            “Handcuffs?”  Adam thought hard.  “This have something to do with how we met?”

            “Yes, Blake, what happened that first night?” Jenny pressed.  “Was that you that wrecked Adam’s car?”

            Blake sighed, nodding.  “They beat the hell out of me.”

            “Who beat you up?  Demons?”

            Blake shook his head.  “No.  Homeland Security goons.”

            That made the eyes go wide on the three humans.  “Wait,” Pharrell called.  “You’re telling us that those two assholes who have been after you this whole time, they’re the ones who beat you up and sent you flying into Adam’s car?”  When Blake nodded, Pharrell jumped up from the table and began to pace.  “Ok, I never thought I’d find anything that scared me more than the CIA!  But wait, you said it wasn’t demons.  So, those guys aren’t demons?”

            “No.”

            “Then what the fuck are they?”

            “I don’t have the right words!” Blake exclaimed, throwing his hands into the air.  “I can’t tell you!”  He looked pleadingly at Adam.

            “Why is it that you can only get words from Adam?” Jenny wanted to know.

            “Because he’s my guardian angel,” Adam explained.  “He’s been protecting me all this time.  That’s what he meant when he kept saying he was my escort.  And isn’t it my fucking luck, that of all the people in the world, those two assholes decided to pick on _my_ angel?  All the shit I have had happen in my life, I can only imagine how bad it would have been if Blake hadn’t been there, watching over me!  The guy must have put in a ton of overtime, and he’s the one they decide to beat up!”

            “Does everyone have a guardian angel?” Jenny asked.  “Do I?  Is she here right now?  Could you maybe ask her to come and talk to us, too?”

            Blake sighed, folded his arms on the table, and lowered his face into them.

            “The man, er, angel, has to keep some of his secrets, Jen,” Pharrell explained.  “I get the impression he’s not supposed to be here, in our physical world talking to us.  So don’t press him too hard, ok?  Some things, mortal man just isn’t supposed to know.”

            Jenny and Adam stared at Pharrell in shock.  “You are the king of ‘We Got The Right To Know,’ and now you’re saying that?” Jenny asked.

            “We got a right to know about the things our mortal government is doing, yes,” Pharrell explained.  “But this shit is way beyond us, and frankly, most of it I don’t want to know.  Besides, we got mortal problems to deal with right now, specifically work.  What the hell do we do with Blake while the kids are at school and we’re all at work?”

            “Take me with you,” Blake called, his voice muffled in his arms.  “Don’t lock me in again!”

            “Blake, we have already had this conversation,” Adam reminded him gently.  “I can’t take you to work!”

            “Why not?” Pharrell challenged.

            “I don’t know, how about my lunch break?”  Adam shot Pharrell a look.

            “Ooooh,” Jenny said, understanding.  “Yes, I can see how that might be a problem!”  She glanced at Blake, who had raised his head and was cocking an eyebrow at them in confusion.  “You boys are going to have to work together on that.  But even so, Blake’s right.  You can’t just lock him in again.  You’re going to have to take him to work with you.”

            Adam and Pharrell exchanged looks, Pharrell excited, Adam apprehensive.  “Don’t worry,” Pharrell assured.  “We work in a boring cubicle on the boring ground floor of a boring office building doing boring financial work.  What could go wrong?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mr. Fun said that Adam has very strange dreams, the thing in the apartment was very scary but they should have kicked its ass, and Pharrell and Jenny had the right idea with the frying pan and baseball bats. He laughed and groaned when Pharrell asked what could go wrong. Wanted to know why they were confessing to the angel, thought that part was very funny!
> 
> Quick question: If a character based on "The Voice" shows up and does things in a story in a minor way but doesn't speak, should that character be tagged? Mr. Fun and I are undecided on this.


	15. Take  Your Angel To Work Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adam takes Blake to work with him

            No one got any more sleep that night.  The adults were surly and cranky when morning arrived.  Against the protests of his friends, Adam had returned, alone, to his apartment to collect clothes and toiletries for himself and Blake.  He’d been scared to death, but although Blake was upset at being left behind, he seemed to think it was safe.  Besides, they needed something to wear to work. 

            Fortunately, Adam’s trip was uneventful.  His heart had nearly pounded out of his chest when he’d opened the door.  He’d jumped at every tiny sound or flicker in the light.  But the only sign that anything at all unusual had happened in this apartment had been the bags of clothes.  The bags containing clothing that Blake had worn had all been cut open, some of the clothing snagged, as if someone had cut into the bags using something very sharp.  Adam thought about the sound he’d heard, claws on linoleum.  He’d quickly gathered what he’d needed and then bolted from the apartment.

            He doubted he’d have an easy time sleeping there again.

            Now, seated in Adam’s car next to him, Blake looked sharp.  He was again wearing the suit he’d been wearing when Adam had first met him.  Blake’s clothes were neatly cleaned and pressed, thanks to Jenny who had scolded Adam about shoving Blake’s nice suit into a bag and getting it all wrinkled.  One of Adam’s ties was in place around Blake’s neck, the blue color bringing out his eyes.  His face was shaved, his hair combed and neatly styled, and he smelled of Pharrell’s aftershave.

            The only thing about that entire list that had been easy had been getting Blake to put on his clothes.  Until now, Blake had been sporting some ever-lengthening stubble that had looked sexy as hell, but wouldn’t do in the office.  Getting Blake to hold still long enough for Adam to help him shave had taken tremendous effort.  So had talking Blake into letting Pharrell put aftershave on him, or let Jenny put gel in his hair.  But the most difficult thing by far had been, oddly enough, getting Blake to wear a tie.  To the delight of the children, Adam and his friends had spent fifteen minutes literally chasing Blake around the house, trying to convince the confused and irritated angel that yes, he really did need to noose the colored piece of cloth around his neck.  Even after Adam had gotten it on, twice Blake had pulled it back off the moment his back was turned.  As a result, everyone was off to a late start.  But Blake seemed calm now, or at least resigned.  He watched out the window as Adam drove, seeming to be watching the rain drip onto the glass.

            Adam, in contrast, was a bundle of nerves.  He was speaking with Pharrell on the hands free as they followed.  “Pharrell, I will never be able to make this up to you.”

            “Oh, I’m aware.  I’ll hold this over your head until your dying day.”

            “Don’t be an asshole, Pharrell, I’m anxious enough as it is.  Listen, Jenny packed Blake a lunch, but I’m going to need you to keep an eye on him.  For lunch.  You understand?”

            “You crazy son of a bitch!  You’re not really going to, um, take your usual break, are you?  Considering the circumstances?”

            “I’m generally not given a choice, Pharrell.”

            “This is a really bad idea, Adam, and I cannot believe you’re stupid enough to…!”

            “Yes, dammit, I’m a crazy son of a bitch and I am well aware of how stupid this whole plan is, and I don’t see an alternative!”  He glanced at Blake, who was frowning suspiciously at him.  “I can’t talk about this now, alright?  Besides, what other option is there?  Don’t you think that creating a fuss under the current circumstances would be an even worse idea?”

            “Adam, I have never met anyone more determined to crash and burn than you.  Isn’t your luck bad enough without further tempting fate?”

            “Apparently not.  Look, are you going to help me or not?”

            “Of course I’ll help you,” Pharrell snapped.  “There’s nothing I enjoy more than watching my friend hang himself.  When this all blows up in your face, Levine?”

            “You’ll put your foot so far up my ass the water on your knee will quench my thirst,” Adam sighed, echoing his friend’s favorite threat.  “Got it.”

            Naturally, it was pouring as they pulled into the employee parking lot.  Pharrell quickly pulled his minivan into a convenient open spot near the door.  “Pharrell, you prick!” Adam protested.

            “What?  You owe me anyway, and I’m not gonna get my ass soaked walking into that building.”

            “Oh, so we’ll get soaked instead?”

            “Snooze you lose!”

            Adam hung up and gave him the finger.  Pharrell returned the gestures, blowing kisses over it.  Adam shook his head and moved on, looking for a parking spot.  Naturally Adam, being late, was forced to park at the farthest end of the parking lot.  By the time he and Blake reached the building, they were both soaking wet.  But while normally, Adam would already have a stress headache, today he didn’t mind much.  Blake had laughed as the two ran for the building, face upturned, thoroughly enjoying the rain.  It was impossible not to enjoy it with him.  They were both laughing as they dripped their way into the lobby.

            Pharrell, of course, had already darted into his cubicle, avoiding the sight of the two drenched arrivals.  Typical.

            “Ok, quick orientation to the building,” Adam called as he punched in.  “First, you’ll note that this clock reads four minutes past nine.  The cut-off time is three minutes past nine.  That means that I will be docked fifteen minutes on my paycheck because my asshole friend chose to screw me over today.  Perfect.  Eh, hell with it, I’ll take it out of the million or so I already owe him.”

            Adam turned from the clock and indicated the lobby.  “Ok, this is the lobby, obviously.  My cubicle is in there, among the other cubicle dwellers here on the first floor.  See that elevator, Blake?  To put it simply, the higher the number of floor you work on, the better the job and the more you make.  Those on the fifth floor are the executives and CeeLo Green, the CEO, which means he’s the big boss.  Everyone else, including my manager Christina, who is also his wife, reports to him.  And he should actually be there today.  He should have gotten back last night.”  _Which means Christina won’t be after me today, wanting to take me home with her.  Thank God for small favors._   “Note we are working on the lowest floor, in the shittiest job, getting the shittiest pay and the worst benefits.  Welcome to my office!”

            Unfortunately, Blake had caught the one thing Adam knew he shouldn’t have said.  “Christina,” he growled.  “Bitch!”

            Adam grabbed his shoulders and gave him a shake.  “Very important!  Do not touch Christina, Blake!  I am very serious about this.  No avenging, no smiting, no transfiguring, no morphing, no banishing to the underworld!  Don’t hit, slap, push, pinch, kick, trip, or poke her, either!  Don’t do anything at all to her!  As far as you are concerned, she is completely off limits.  If she talks to you, obviously talk back to her, but beyond that, you don’t interact with her!  I want your word on this, Blake.  Promise not to do anything to her?”

            Blake scowled.

            Adam scowled back.

            Finally, Blake sighed.  “I promise not to do anything to her,” he grumbled.

            “Good angel,” Adam praised, patting Blake’s shoulder.  “Oh yeah, stick with either me or Pharrell today.  Do not wander off!”

            “Do not wander off.”  Blake was still scowling.

            Adam chose to ignore it.  He entered the work area and slunk to his desk, trying to avoid drawing attention.  Blake strolled right in, the soles of his cowboy boots tapping on the tiled floor, drawing every eye.  Faces peered around the cubicle walls, watching as the tall stranger followed Adam to his desk.  So much for the subtle approach.  Well, someone like Blake was bound to draw attention to himself sooner or later.

            Adam rummaged in his desk, produced a mailing label and a black marker, and wrote “Trainee” on the label.  This he stuck to Blake’s shirt, just below his right collarbone.  “That should at least get you through today,” he declared as Blake stared at it.  “Ok, let’s get you a chair.  Here we go, sit down buddy.”

            “Hey, guys, glad you could make it in without drowning,” Pharrell called, scooting his chair around the cubicle wall to grin at the two.  “Although from the looks of you, it was a close call.”

            “Pharrell, you have no idea how close I am to murdering you with my stapler right now.”

            “Promises, promises.  Here, Blake, I got these for you.  Enjoy!”

            Adam stared at the wrapped cakes he’d handed Blake.  “Pharrell, did you just give him devil’s food cake?”

            Pharrell grinned widely.

            Adam got up and calmly pushed Pharrell in his chair back into his cubicle.

            When he returned, Blake had already devoured one of the cakes.  He offered the other to Adam.  “Nah, go ahead, they’re for you, even though Pharrell’s an asshole.”

            “I heard that, Levine!”

            “You were meant to, Williams!”  He handed a Kleenex to Blake.  “Clean the chocolate off your hands, Blake.  Now, let me show you what I do every day.”  He lowered his voice.  “I know you won’t understand half of this, buddy, and you’ll probably be bored shitless.  But I need to at least pretend to be training you, or people will get suspicious and start to wonder what you’re really doing here.  So play along for now.”

            “Alright.”

            Adam had always enjoyed teaching.  It was how he’d first met Pharrell, when he’d been assigned the task of training him nearly a year ago.  Blake, it turned out, was an attentive listener.  Adam had no idea how much, if anything, Blake actually understood.  But he seemed interested, or at least paying attention.

            Of course, Christina wandered over, her eyes on the handsome newcomer.  She looked Blake up and down.  “Hi there,” she said.  “I didn’t know we had a new hire!  Adam, are you going to introduce us?”

            “Sure,” Adam said, subtly kicking Blake.  “Blake Shelton, meet our boss, Mrs. Christina Green.  Stand up and shake her hand like a gentleman!”

            “A pleasure!”  Christina’s smile grew wider as Blake rose.  “Wow, you are tall, aren’t you?  Um, just so you know, we have a strict dress code.  Ties are a must for all male employees, and no clip-ons!”

            Adam grimaced, realizing that at some point while he’d been teaching, Blake had once again discarded his tie.  But at least the angel was staying calm.  His blue eyes were cool as he regarded Christina.  “I have no idea what I’m doing,” Blake announced.

            Christina giggled.  “Well, stick with Adam.  He’s a good teacher, and he’ll get you pointed in the right direction.”  As she spoke, she winked suggestively at Adam and squeezed his shoulder.

            Immediately, Blake scowled.  “Keep your grubby fingers to yourself!” he ordered.  “You have your own life.  You cannot go around practicing the things you see on TV, alright?  That is really not cool.”

            Christina blinked.  “Um, what?”

            “Heh, what a kidder!” Adam called quickly.  “Blake, sit down, buddy, we still have a lot to go over.”

            “Of course.”  Christina was eyeing Blake again, this time with one eyebrow raised in confusion.  Her hand squeezed Adam’s shoulder.  “Adam?  We’ll have our usual arrangements for lunch, of course.”

            “Of course.”  Adam forced a smile, not wanting to upset Blake any further.  “See you then.”

            As soon as she left, Adam glared at Blake.  “Blake?  Tie.  Now!”

            Blake sheepishly pulled the crumpled tie from a pocket.  To his credit, he didn’t resist when Adam, grumbling, replaced the tie around Blake’s neck and straightened it.  “It’s the office dress code to wear these, ok?  And this tie looks good on you, Big Country,” he commented as he adjusted Blake’s collar.  “The blue really brings out your eyes.  Now quit being an idiot and leave it on before you get us both in trouble!”

            “Alright.”  Blake looked like a scolded dog.  “I’ll leave it on.  But Christina should keep her hands off of you!”

            Adam sighed.  “Listen,” he began in a low voice.  “I get that it’s your job to look after me.  Dealing with Christina has got to be worse on you than it even is on me!  But Blake…”

            “No,” Blake snapped, uncharacteristically waspish.  “I won’t let anyone hurt you!”

            “Alright, then.  Let’s go marching into CeeLo’s office and just tell him everything, let the chips fall where they may!”  Adam groaned, seeing Blake stand up, looking determined.  “Dammit, Blake, sit down!  I’m sorry, but there’s nothing anyone can do about Christina right now, ok?  Now can we please just get back to the training?”

            Blake sat down and sulked.

            Adam choose to interpret that as a “yes” and went back to his teaching.  A few minutes later, he had to pause when his phone rang.  Adam groaned, recognizing the number.  “Sorry, Blake,” he apologized.  “It’s Sanders, one of the higher-paid cubicle dwellers from the second floor.  Pompous windbag!  He always calls, wanting information, and it always takes a while.”

            “Alright.”

            As usual, the pompous windbag wanted Adam to look up information on several accounts that he could have easily looked up himself.  Adam rolled his eyes at Blake and pressed the mute button on his phone.  “This guy is older, probably near retirement age, and his retirement can’t come soon enough!” he confided, leaning close to speak softly to Blake.  “I consider his work average, at best, not nearly up to what I believe I could do in Sanders’s position.  And he calls me for information on a daily basis.”

            Adam unmuted the phone and quickly made a note.  “Yes, Sir, I’ll get to work on that right away.  It should…  Oh you have more?  I see.  Alright, go ahead.”

            Adam’s list grew longer and longer.  Shaking his head, he pressed the mute button again.  “He’s got a backlog today, Blake!  Makes you wonder what the hell he did all day yesterday when I wasn’t here to serve as his personal research assistant?  Well, if the office grapevine is correct, he probably looked at porn at his desk and wanked off into tissues all day.” 

            He unmuted the phone again and pretended to shoot himself in the head with his finger to amuse Blake, even as he kept his voice pleasant and professional.  Finally, the list ended and Adam hung up with a sigh.  “Researching account information for the higher floors is in our job description,” he explained to Blake.  “Sanders obviously knows it.  But any one of our coworkers on this floor could have done this for him, or the old fool could have just looked it up himself!”  He indicated his lengthy list in disgust.  “Instead, he obviously waited for me because he clearly has two days’ worth of information to have me research for him now.”

            “Asshole,” Blake declared.

            “Oh, you got it.  Ok, let’s get into this.”

            Over an hour later, Adam was finally done.  He called Sanders back, relayed the lengthy list of information to him, and hung up, giving the finger to the phone.  He took a drink from his water bottle and turned to Blake.  “Sorry about that.  Now what were…”  His voice trailed off, noting an absence of Blake in the chair next to him.  “Blake?  Where’d you go, buddy?”

            Adam stood up, peering over the cubicles.  Blake was tall enough that he should have been easily seen if he was up wandering among them.  The fact that he was nowhere in sight made Adam’s heart drop to the pit of his stomach.  He quickly ran around to Pharrell’s cubicle.  “Pharrell, you gotta help me!” he whispered.  “Blake’s gone!”

            “What?” Pharrell whispered back.  “What do you mean, Blake’s gone?”

            “I mean he’s standing on the coffee table next to the copy machine, bumping and grinding, doing a strip tease,” Adam told him calmly.  “He’s already down to his underwear, and every woman and half the men in the office are shoving bills into his G-string.  Tonight we eat like kings!”

            Pharrell blinked.  “What?”

            “I mean he’s _gone,_ you idiot!” Adam hissed.  “What did you think I meant?  Sanders called, and by the time I finally finished relaying two days’ worth of research for him, Blake was gone!  He must have gotten bored and wandered off.”  He groaned.  “I should have borrowed Christina’s handcuffs and locked him to my desk!  Maybe I will after I find him.  But you gotta help me find him, Pharrell!”

            “Ok, ok, geez!”  Pharrell got up.  “Did you check in Christina’s office?”

            “Are you out of your mind?” Adam hissed.

            “No, but you’re an idiot if that wasn’t the first place you thought to check!”

            “Of course it was, but Pharrell, come on!  You know if I go in there, she won’t let me back out!” Adam pointed out.  “She’ll keep me in there until she’s done with me, and won’t that be great if Blake comes pounding on the door looking for me?”

            “She does lock the door,” Pharrell pointed out weakly.  “If he starts pounding on it, I can come get him, try to talk him out of going all Sodom and Gomorrah?”

            “A city bus did not stop Blake from protecting me, Pharrell,” Adam whispered.  “You saw how upset he got when he found out what she’s been doing to me!  Do you really think a locked door is going to stop him if he figures out what’s happening in there and decides to stop it?”

            Pharrell grimaced.  “Ugh, you’re probably right.  And to be honest, I would so love to see Blake give that bitch a heaven-sent spanking that I’m almost tempted to let it happen!”

            “Pharrell!”

            “Yeah, yeah.”  He thought for a moment, and then brightened.  “I know!  What if we go in there together?  We can tell her your trainee must have gotten lost and ask if she’s seen him.  She can’t keep you in there if I’m with you, right?”

            That made Adam feel a bit better.  “Thanks, man.”

            “No problem.  Let’s go bait the lioness in her den.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mr. Fun thinks Blake is up to something very naughty.


	16. Desk Position

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adam just wants to find Blake, but Christina has other plans for him

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Music for this section:  
> Forget You/Fuck You - CeeLo Green (I prefer the clean version, so that's what I'm linking here)  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RbmNxQe1Eo8

            Adam and Pharrell cautiously knocked on Christina’s door.  “Come in!” she called.

            The two friends poked their heads in, quickly noting that there was no sign of Blake.  That made Adam feel simultaneously better and worse.  It was good he wasn’t causing trouble in here, but where could he have gone?

            Christina looked up and brightened.  “Oh, hello!”

            “Sorry,” Adam said aloud.  “I seem to have lost my trainee.  He was looking for the men’s room, but he’s been gone for a while now.  I thought maybe he got lost.”

            “Yeah, he doesn’t seem quite right in the head,” Christina commented.  She’d gotten up and was coming closer, her eyes on Adam.

            Pharrell stepped in front of Adam, grabbing the handle.  “Well, if you haven’t seen him, we’ll keep looking.  Thanks, Mrs. Green!”

            Pharrell tried to close the door, but Christina’s hand shot out, holding the door open.  “What was that trainee’s name again?  I’ve looked, but I don’t see anything about getting a new employee.”

            “His name’s Blake,” Adam called.  “Blake Shelton.”

            Her brow wrinkled.  “Blake Shelton.  I don’t even remember doing his interview, and I think I’d remember that!  Very strange.  Who hired him?”

            “Someone else hires them.  I just train them,” Adam replied.

            “Yeah, and then, apparently he loses them!” Pharrell added.  “Sorry to disturb you, Mrs. Green.”

            Once again, Pharrell tried to pull the door closed.  And once again, Christina pushed it back open.  “What’s the big deal?” she asked.  “So he got lost.  If he’s gone too long, I’ll dock his pay and he’ll learn.”

            “Oh, no big deal at all,” Pharrell assured.  “It’s just that this guy’s a buddy of ours and it’s not like him to be gone this long.  So we’re just concerned and trying to help him out, you know?  It is his first day on the job, and he needs to make a good impression.”

            “He’s done a bang-up job of it so far,” Christina huffed.  “I still cannot believe he actually told me to keep my hands to myself!”

            Pharrell’s face took on an interesting expression.

            Adam clamped a hand on his shoulder.  “Anyway, we’ll get back at it,” he said.  “Later!”

            “What, so now you’re going to stop looking for him?” Christina asked.

            “Oh, no, we’ll keep looking,” Pharrell said, again trying to pull the door closed.  “We’ll let you know if we don’t find him.”

            Christina pushed her way out the door.  “You keep looking, Williams,” she ordered, reaching past him to grab Adam’s arm.  “I need Adam’s help with something.”

            Adam grimaced.  “I need to find my trainee!  Besides, my lunch break isn’t for another half an hour!”

            “Take an early one today,” she advised, pulling him towards the door.  “I have something I wanted to share with you.”

            Adam shot Pharrell a look, and Pharrell responded by grabbing Adam’s other arm.  “Mrs. Green, I really think we should keep looking for Adam’s trainee,” he insisted.  “We know the guy, and this really isn’t like him to just wander off without saying anything to us.  What if something happened to him?”

            Adam nodded, looking concerned.  “We can cover twice as much ground in half as much time with two of us.”

            “He’s a big guy.  He shouldn’t be too hard to find.”  Christina frowned at Pharrell.  “Williams, is there some reason you’re playing tug of war with me using Adam as a rope?”

            “With respect, ma’am?” Pharrell said politely.  “There are two of us on this particular rope.  Is there some reason you’re trying to drag Adam into your lockable, soundproof office when he’s already made it clear he doesn’t want to go?”

            Adam sucked in his breath.  While part of him wanted to cheer Pharrell on, this wasn’t the time to confront Christina.  Even if she didn’t fire him, if she raised a fuss, Blake would surely pop out from wherever he was hiding to investigate.  That was a recipe for disaster.  Alarmed, he looked at Christina, dreading her reaction.

            Christina narrowed her eyes, even as her obviously-forced smile grew wider.  Her eyes locked with Adam’s.  “Adam, I’m afraid I need to insist you take an early lunch and help me,” she said.  “Now, please?”

            “What about Blake?” Adam asked.  “Can’t it wait until I find him?”

            Christina indicated Pharrell.  “Let him look for him.  I need you.  Now.”

            “Adam?”  Pharrell was frowning at Adam.

            Adam sighed, and pulled free of Pharrell.  “Keep looking for Blake, would you?  I’ll be out in a few minutes.”

            Pharrell was sadly shaking his head.  “Whatever, Adam.  It’s your life, buddy.”  He waited until Adam followed Christina back into her office.  Then he slammed the door much harder than was necessary, making Adam wince.

            Christina raised an eyebrow.  “What’s with him?”

            “He’s in a mood.”

            “I guess!  Seems like everyone’s in a mood today.  Must be the official ‘Be A Bitch To Your Boss’ day.”  She crowded Adam, pushing him back against the door.  “Lucky for me, you’re here to cheer me up.”

            Adam’s head had started to ache as soon as she’d grabbed him.  Now the ache had graduated into a throb.  Until now, Adam had been resigned to put up with whatever Christina demanded of him today.  But the more she touched him, the more he resented it and suddenly, he didn’t feel as if he could stand it any longer.  “Christina, please leave me alone?” Adam pleaded.  “I don’t want to do this!”

            Christina’s response was to lock the door and bury her fingers in his hair, trying to pull his head down for a kiss.

             “Stop!” Adam groaned.  “I said no, alright?  I don’t want to do this again!  Besides, I really am worried about my trainee.  What’s going to happen if Pharrell finds him and comes looking for me?”

            “Door’s locked.”  She had his tie now.

            “Yes, but I’m his assigned trainer!  I should be…”

            She stopped his words when she succeeded in pulling him down and kissing him.  “Adam, would you forget about your trainee for a bit?” she suggested.  “Pharrell can keep him entertained.  Right now, it’s your job to keep me entertained!”

            “When do I get to be entertained?” Adam complained.  “I’m so sick of this!  Every day you drag me in here and I have to have sex with you, even though you know I don’t want to do it.  Why the hell won’t you leave me alone?”

            “As if you don’t like it!”

            “I don’t like it!  I’d rather fuck a knothole, splinters be damned!  You’re a controlling, demanding bitch and I cannot stand you!”

            Christina rolled her eyes and mussed his hair.  “You and your mouth, I swear!  I’m half tempted to get you a gag.”

            “There is no way I am ever letting you gag me!  Fucking you is bad enough.  You’re not doing that weird shit to me, too!”

            As usual, Adam’s complaints and insults only seemed to excite her more.  “You’re right.  I know of a much better use for that mouth.  But that’s for another time.” 

            He turned his face away as she tried to kiss him again.  “Come on!  Let me go, Christina, I need to find Blake.”

            “What is it with you and your damned trainee?” she complained.  “Are you in love with the guy or something?”

            “Yes,” Adam told her without hesitating.  “Yes, Christina, I am in love with him.  And I don’t know where he is, and I’m worried that something’s happened to him!  Now let go of my tie.  I’m going to go find him.”

            Christina blinked up at him.  Then her lips parted in a wide smile.  “Really?  You and that tall hot hunk?  Ooooh, that has _so_ many possibilities!  Let’s go find him together, and bring him back here.”

            “Whoa, hold it!”  Adam grabbed her shoulders and pushed her back as she reached towards the door.  “What are you talking about?”

            “I told you I wanted to try a threesome,” she informed him.  “You didn’t care for my choice, but I’m good with yours!”

            Adam sucked in his breath.  “No way.  No fucking way, Christina!  You are not going anywhere near Blake!  Leave him alone!”

            Her gaze grew cool as she looked at him.  “Still going to say no on the threesome, even if we bring him in on it?”

            “You’re damned right!” he told her.  “You’re not touching Blake, and I will never do a threesome!”

            “Oh Adam, once again, you let me down!”  Christina pouted.  “Where’s the fun of having a bisexual boyfriend if he won’t do a threesome?”

            “You know what?  I’m not even going to dignify that with an answer.”

            She moved closer, her hands going to work unbuttoning his shirt.  “And are you going to compensate me like you did last time?”

            Adam grimaced.  “Christina…”

            “Enough talk.”  She wrapped his tie around her hand and started pulling him back into the office, heading not to the divan, but her desk.

            “Um, no.  I think I have had just about enough of your desk,” Adam declared.  “Look, I still have marks on my wrists!”

            “Poor baby!”  Far from sounding chagrined, Christina was practically purring.  “I’ll have to get the padded cuffs.  How about that?”

            “How about no?  You are never cuffing me again!”

            She pulled him down by his tie to kiss him again, using her other hand to undo his belt.  “After all the fun we had Monday?”

            “I assure you, nothing about Monday was fun!” Adam exclaimed.  “I told you that I didn’t like it.  You’re not doing it to me again!”  Adam planted his feet and pried at her fingers on his tie.  In retrospect, Blake might have had the right idea this morning about not wanting to wear one.  The tie made an effective leash, choking him if she pulled on it the right way and making it all too easy to drag his head down for her kisses.  Now that he thought about it, it really was a stupid article of clothing.  For all women complained about high heels and tight girdles, at least they weren’t walking around just asking to be hung!

            “Aaaadam?” Christina called, her voice singsong.  “Come over to the deeeeeeeesk!”

            “Not on your liiiiiiiife!” Adam singsonged back.  “Let go of my tiiiiiieee!”

            “If you want a raaaaaaise, you’d better get on the deeeeeeeeeesk!”

            “Seriously?” Adam exclaimed.  “After everything that happened Monday, you want to put me back on that fucking desk?”

            “Great choice of words!”  She gave a yank on his tie.

            Caught off-guard, Adam yelped and stumbled forward.  “Stop it!  That’s it, I’m leaving.  Hell, I quit!”

            “We’ve been over this.  We both know you can’t quit!”  She turned him with the tie until he stood with his back to her desk, pushing on his chest with one hand while she held tight to his tie with the other.

            Adam groaned as his rear bumped against the desk.  She was right, of course.  If he lost this job, it wouldn’t just be him out on the street.  Angel or not, Blake needed food and warmth.  A cardboard box and digging through a dumpster wouldn’t cut it.  “Don’t do this to me again!” he pleaded.  “At least wait until after I find Blake?”

            “Just shut up and get on the desk!”

            Resigned, he let her push him back onto the desk and climb on top of him.   _It’s just sex,_ he told himself as she quickly pulled his shirt open and started rubbing his torso.  _You’ve done it before, you can do it again.  Just get it over with so you can find Blake!_

            But even as he thought this, he knew he wouldn’t be able to go through with it, not this time.  All he could think about was Blake, and not in any way that could allow him to give the sexual predator licking at his throat what she wanted.  He took her shoulders and pushed her away.  “Dammit, why won’t you ever listen to me?  I don’t want to do this again!  Stop!”

            “You don’t get it, do you?” she called, pulling his hands off of her shoulders and pinning them roughly down on the desk.  “What you want doesn’t matter.  I own you, baby!  You’re all mine, and I’ll do whatever I want with you!”

            “For fuck’s sake!” Adam yelled.  “Get off of me and leave me alone!”

            “Just relax and enjoy it,” she soothed.  “I’ll make you feel so good, baby!  And I won’t even handcuff you this time, since you’re being such a whiny bitch about it.  But if you want to keep your job?  Then you _are_ going to stay here on this desk, Adam, and we _are_ going to fuck!”

            “That so?” called a voice from the door.

            Adam and Christina froze, staring at the door.  There was Blake, standing just inside the door with his arms crossed, glaring at Christina.  But it wasn’t Blake who had spoken.  Just in the door behind him, looking simultaneously crushed and furious, stood CeeLo.  The man was larger than life, decked out in a fancy black suit with a checkered tie and a striped handkerchief.  He stepped forward, seeming to fill the entire room with his presence.  “Baby girl, I gave you everything!” he said.  “I treated you like a queen, and this whole time, you’re doing this shit with one of my employees?”

            “This isn’t what it looks like!” Christina exclaimed, quickly climbing off of Adam and moving towards the door.  “I’m so glad you’re here, baby!  You don’t know how terrible it’s been!  He comes in here every day at lunch and forces himself on me!”

            _“What?”_ Adam yelled.  “Christina, I still have the marks on my wrists from when you handcuffed me to your desk Monday!  I was trapped there, hiding underneath while you two screwed on the desk right on top of me and then went to dinner!  I got these marks because you left me there for over three hours!  Now how in the hell did I force you to do that, huh?”

            “I can’t help it you’re a kinky bastard!” she defended.  “And you certainly took it out of me later, didn’t you?”  Her eyes filled with tears, and her lower lip trembled.  “You’re so much bigger than me!  Only an idiot would think I could force anything on you!”

            It was a convincing performance, with Christina displaying acting skills Adam hadn’t realized she had.  As Adam sputtered, she turned back to CeeLo, her eyes pleading.  “Baby, please, you gotta make him stop!”

            “Oh, pretty lady, you don’t know how much I want to believe you,” CeeLo sighed.  Behind the large dark glasses he wore, his eyes were impossible to read as he indicated Blake.  “But this big guy here told me the same story lover boy just did!  And by the way, we were standing here in the door, watching you push him down on your desk.  We heard him ask you to stop.  And instead, you pinned him down and threatened his job?!”  He shook his head.  “I heard everything you said to that boy, Christina!  You threw away your job and our marriage to fuck an employee on your desk?  And handcuffs, you were never into that shit with me!  I would have played any game you wanted, but I guess he's an x-box and I'm just an Atari, huh?”

            “He made me say that!  He’s into weird shit, baby, and I was just playing along so he didn’t hurt me!”  She sobbed and threw herself at CeeLo, clinging to his lapels.  “Please, big daddy!  You believe me, don’t you?”

            “You know what?” CeeLo replied.  “I started out with nothing.  I worked my way up to where I am now.  But for you, I would have begged and stolen, lied and cheated trying to keep you, trying to please you, ‘cause being in love with your ass ain’t cheap!  You think if I was richer I’d still be with you?  Ain’t that some shit!”  He snorted.  “I pity the fool that falls in love with you, ‘cause you’re a gold digger.  And I got some news for you, girl.  I really hate your ass right now!”

            Christina gasped.  “CeeLo!”

            “Baby, why’d you wanna hurt me so bad?  Forget you!”

            “CeeLo, no, baby, I love you!”

            CeeLo pulled off his glasses and wiped at his streaming eyes.  “You know, there’s a pain in my chest, but I still wish you the best.  But fuck you, lady!”

            “No, CeeLo!” Christina sobbed.

            “I could write a song about this shit!” CeeLo exclaimed.  “Don’t even bother getting any of your stuff here.  I’ll have it bagged for you.  Just go!  You’re fired, and we’re through!  Get your shit out of my house and wait for the lawyers to call you.”

            “Baby, please!”

            “We’re done!  Now get going before I have security escort your fine ass out!”

            Christina fled.

            CeeLo wiped at his eyes again.  Then he turned to Adam.

            Adam remained as he was, frozen, still lying back on his elbows on Christina’s desk with his shirt opened and pulled out, his belt undone, his hair a mess, Christina’s lipstick all over his mouth and neck and his tie askew.  He swallowed hard, grabbed a tissue, wiped off the lipstick, and climbed down off of the desk, quickly buttoning his shirt.  “I’ll just pack my stuff and leave my name badge at the front desk on my way out,” he called.  “Excuse me.”

            The big man stood where he was, blocking Adam’s exit.  “You’re Adam Levine?” CeeLo asked.

            Adam swallowed again.  “Yes, Sir?”

            “Adam, did you lie on your application for this job, like Blake here tells me?”

            Adam desperately wanted the walls to collapse, dropping the four floors above him onto his head, hopefully killing him instantly.  Unfortunately, it didn’t happen.  “Yes, Sir,” he admitted.

            “And just how long have you been fucking my wife?”

            Why couldn’t Christina’s office have been on the twentieth floor?  Then, if Adam jumped out the window, he’d fall to a certain death that would be far less painful than whatever CeeLo would do to him now.  If Adam charged out the window here on the first floor, the best he could hope for would be that a shard of glass sliced his throat.  Even then, CeeLo would probably somehow patch him up, keep him alive to take whatever punishment was in store.  Adam stared at CeeLo, unable to speak, tensed and waiting for the first blow.  In his mind, he pictured his tombstone.  _Here lies young Adam Levine.  Died from jumping CeeLo’s claim.  Didn’t happen at the mining site, the claim he jumped was CeeLo’s dame._

            CeeLo pulled second handkerchief, this one white with red polka dots, out of his back pocket and wiped at his tear-stained face.  Then he blew his nose.  “You know what?  I don’t want to know,” he declared.  “It’s obvious this isn’t the first time, and that’s all that matters.  You know what I’m saying, Adam?”

            “Yes, Sir?” he answered quietly, hoping that was the right answer.  But what did it matter?  He was dead, so dead.  Would they ever find his body?  Or would CeeLo just feed him through a wood chipper into a ditch somewhere?  Maybe he’d just take Adam out on his personal yacht, tie him to an anchor, and dump him in the Mariana trench.  Or he’d just cut pieces off of Adam and use him for fishing bait, tossing whatever was left of him to sharks drawn by the scent of blood in the water.

            But wait a minute.  His guardian angel was here!  Blake was supposed to protect him, right?  So why, instead, had he been the instrument of Adam’s doom?  Blake seemed oddly calm as Adam faced imminent bloody demise.

            Meanwhile, CeeLo was gesturing to Adam.  “C’mon, Adam.  All of your coworkers are eavesdropping here on things that aren’t their business.  Let’s finish this conversation upstairs in my office.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mr. Fun was quite entertained at the song lyrics


	17. The Penthouse Corner Office

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> CeeLo brings Adam and Blake to his office for a chat involving a gold-plated pistol, Adam's file, and a stuffed squeaky cat

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I've been putting the bits and pieces of Blake's primer together for a single reference, and so far, it is 31 pages long all by itself.  
> https://funtimewriter.tumblr.com/post/160823592617/blakes-primer  
> 31 pages of disconnected dialogue to sort through, not even including the fact that I somehow managed to hide every word to an entire song in Adam's dialogue in this story before Blake's reveal because, hey, that just wasn't challenging enough. Whyyyyyyyyyyy?
> 
> If I ever think of doing something like this again? Shoot me. Oh, and remind me to tell you lot what the hardest words to hide from that song were. You may be surprised!

            Adam’s head pounded like a set of tympani played by a hyperactive gorilla on a caffeine high.

            First came the walk of shame, with CeeLo leading Adam by the arm and Adam slinking after through the maze of cubicles while every one of his coworkers peeked over or around the dividers, watching.  Pharrell’s eyes had been the size of dinner plates when he’d gone past, darting from Adam and CeeLo to Blake and back.  His face showed his confusion.  Pharrell was probably wondering why Adam’s guardian angel wasn’t cooking up some sort of miraculous intervention right about now.  Adam wondered what Pharrell expected Blake to do.  Smite CeeLo with a bolt of lightning?  Teleport Adam to Columbia to start a new life under a false identity?  Turn CeeLo’s glock into a banana and his brass knuckles into dandelions?  All of those options sounded wonderful to Adam.  But the truth was that Blake had not done one single thing since they’d met that Adam could classify as supernatural.  All this time, Blake had seemed more like an ordinary, although brain damaged, man, just trying to adapt.  In fact, now that Adam thought about it, Blake seemed more like a helpless child than a powerful guardian angel!  For the first time, Adam found himself wondering if he’d somehow hallucinated Blake’s wings and what had happened when he’d stumbled out in front of the bus.  Maybe he’d been struck after all, had some brain damage of his own?

            It would certainly explain the pounding, throbbing headache he had now.  Already, he was starting to see bright flashing spots as the pain spiked.  He’d nearly stumbled several times as he’d followed after CeeLo, almost glad of the big man’s hand clamped onto his arm.

            Meanwhile, Blake was no help at all.  The big man trailed after Adam, looking triumphant.  Adam suspected he had no real idea just how much trouble he’d actually caused.  In all likelihood, all the angel cared about was that he’d stopped Christina’s near-daily sexual harassment of his charge.  Adam figured Blake had chalked this entire thing up as a clear victory.  The fact that this meant Adam was about to be fired, beaten bloody and then murdered likely hadn’t ever crossed his mind.

            The irony of the whole thing was that Adam understood why Blake had done it.  Adam himself had told him to do it in a fit of sarcastic pique.  He’d even pointed out the elevator and told Blake what floor to find CeeLo.  He’d known full well how much trouble Blake had with sarcasm.  Blake must have believed that Adam was telling him to go and talk to CeeLo, perhaps asking for his assistance.  To the angel, it must have seemed like the ideal solution.  CeeLo would deal with Christina, and Adam would never have to worry about her again.  And best of all, Blake could keep his promise.  He’d get rid of Christina without ever laying a hand on her himself.

            In retrospect, Adam could not believe how stupid he’d been to ever even mention Christina or CeeLo to Blake.

            Of course, Blake wasn’t stupid, either.  As he’d walked with Adam and the happiness he’d expected from his charge didn’t appear, Blake had started looking hard at Adam.  The sight of Adam’s pale face and wide, frightened eyes had brought a frown to Blake’s face.  And by the time they’d gotten off the elevator on the fifth floor and CeeLo had taken them into his office, Blake’s expression had morphed into one of concerned anxiety.  Adam’s guardian angel had apparently figured out that maybe what he’d done had not been the best solution to Adam’s problem after all.  So far, he’d done nothing to correct it.  But what could he do?  Before, Adam would have assumed that an angel would be immune to CeeLo’s glock.  Blake was certainly immune to a city bus!  But when “Agent Raymond” had drawn a gun on Blake yesterday – was that only yesterday?  It seemed a lifetime ago! – he had seemed very confident.  Adam believed that Raymond and Daly knew what Blake was.  He didn’t know if their weapons were loaded with some sort of special magical bullet, or if Blake was simply vulnerable in his human form.  Regardless, he couldn’t risk CeeLo shooting Blake, no matter how much Adam might like to shoot him himself right now.  But of course that was unfair.  Blake had, after all, only done exactly what Adam had suggested.

            Now, seated in his expensive padded leather chair behind his desk, CeeLo Green was on a crying jag.  The big man was scarcely coherent, sobbing and talking at the same time, telling Blake all about how he’d met Christina and they’d fallen in love.  Adam, seated next to Blake in front of CeeLo’s desk, was perfectly fine with that.  As long as he was crying to Blake, he wasn’t murdering Adam.

            As always, Blake was a great listener.  He sat next to Adam across from CeeLo’s massive desk with a box of tissues in his hand, handing individual tissues over as the CEO used them and tossed them into the trash.  His brow was wrinkled in concern as he listened attentively, the confused blue eyes periodically glancing over at Adam.

            Adam was focusing on looking anywhere else but at CeeLo.  CeeLo’s desk was even bigger than Christina’s.  His office had its own dedicated server, printer, fax, three phones, a big screen TV that took up most of one wall, and even a wet bar.  The office was decorated to reflect the eccentric CEO’s tastes, with wild artwork on the walls.  The man, it appeared, was fond of cats.  Cats were everywhere in the office, which was half the size of the entire work area crowded with cubicles where Adam’s desk resided.  There were cat paintings, cat sculptures, cat statues, cat silhouettes.  The ridiculous part of Adam’s mind wondered what sort of meeting CeeLo would have with the dog lover in the Raymond/Daly pair?  A furry stuffed cat toy stared at Adam from CeeLo’s desk.  The thing seemed to be mocking him.  Adam resisted the urge to punch its fuzzy smiling face.  The cat hadn’t gotten him into this mess.  As usual, Adam had no one to blame but himself.

            Finally, CeeLo cried himself out and excused himself to the executive washroom.  Adam imagined silk towels and gold plated urinals.  He wondered if the toilets had heated seats and bidets?  Probably.

            Blake was staring at him again.  “I did wrong.”

            “You didn’t do anything that wasn’t bound to happen eventually anyway,” Adam sighed.  “I’m not mad at you, buddy.  Mostly, I’m just pissed off at myself for letting myself get into this mess in the first place.  I never should have lied on my application, but what they were offering for starting wage, plus benefits?  And you know, when Christina interviewed me, I kind of got the feeling she was flirting with me.  I should have stayed professional.  But I wanted the job, so I flirted back, and that got her thinking I was interested, I guess, and…  Well, here I am.  I kind of wish I’d decided to study to be a lawyer instead of going for my MBA.  God knows we could use a lawyer right now!  But even if we could afford one, we can’t sue for wrongful termination because I lied on my fucking application and they’ve got every right to fire me, no matter what happened between me and Christina.”  He glanced apprehensively towards the washroom.  “Of course, that’s assuming CeeLo fires me and doesn’t just bust a cap into my ass.”

            Blake frowned, cocking his head.  “I don’t understand.”

            Adam waved a hand.  “I know you don’t buddy.  I just think that I’m probably about to get my ass kicked by a well-polished fancy dress shoe.  CeeLo strolled in just as I was about to fuck his wife!  He’s got every right to kick my ass.  I’m just hoping that he won’t flat-out murder me with you sitting here to witness.”  He grimaced.  “Assuming he doesn’t just murder us both.”

            “CeeLo is not a good man?” Blake asked, sounding confused.

            “Dude, the guy used to be a gangster!” Adam explained.  “Beating the shit out of someone who’s been screwing his wife is the least of that man’s sins.  By the time he’s done with me, there won’t even be enough left of me to identify by DNA!”

            Blake frowned again.  “I won’t let anyone hurt you.”

            “Come on, buddy, what are you going to do?  Beat the shit out of CeeLo Green?”

            “Alright.”  Blake got up, his eyes on the washroom door.

            “No, dammit!” Adam hissed, pulling him back down.  “If he really does try to kill me, then by all means, make with the holy rolling!  But unless and until he does, we need to try to fight this battle with words, not fists or bolts of lightning or whatever the hell else you’ve got.  Alright?”

            “Alright.”  Blake slumped in his chair.  “I’m sorry, buddy.”

            Adam sighed, got up, and hugged him.  “This is not your fault, ok?” he assured, sitting back down.  “Now just stay cool.”

            In the washroom, the sound of splashing could be heard as CeeLo washed up.  Then the door opened and the man himself returned to his desk.  He looked far calmer than before.  But he also looked very angry.  He pressed a button on his desk.  “Damion, you got those files I asked for?”

            “Yes Sir, Mr. Green.”

            “Good, bring them in.”

            A moment later, a male secretary entered and presented a folder to CeeLo.  He didn’t give Adam and Blake so much as a passing glance.  Adam supposed he didn’t want to be called as a witness in the event of a gruesome bloody double murder.

            CeeLo opened the file.  Adam spotted his name on it and recognized his resume on the top.  The big man picked it up and was looking it over.

            The silence dragged on.

            Adam was too terrified to move.  But Blake fidgeted, and then finally got up and started to pace.

            CeeLo looked up and frowned at him.  “Sit your big ass down,” he ordered.  “The three of us are going to have a conversation.”

            “Conversation is good,” Adam noted, hating the nervous tremor in his voice.  “We can talk about this.”

            CeeLo looked at him.  “Shut up, boy.”

            “Shutting up, Sir.”  He did a double-take at Blake, who had stopped and was frowning at CeeLo.  “Blake, what are you doing?  Sit down, you idiot!”

            Blake sat down in the chair next to Adam, still frowning.

            CeeLo ignored them both.  He reached into his pocket and, to Adam’s horror, produced a gleaming golden pistol, placing it on the desk.  At present, the barrel was pointing somewhere to Adam’s left.  Adam stared at it with bulging eyes.

            The CEO indicated the pistol.  “You like?”

            Adam, not sure how to respond, nodded.

            “We each have one, Christina and I,” CeeLo explained.  “A matching set, custom made for the two of us.  They’re gold plated, with mother of pearl inlays on the handle.  You know why I bought them?  For our wedding.”

            Custom made gold plated pistols for a wedding?  Adam didn’t want to think about what that said about this man.

            Blake, seeming oblivious to Adam’s rising panic, casually picked up the pistol and began puttering with it, turning it around in his hands and then staring down the barrel.  Adam quickly grabbed the weapon and returned it to the table.  “Don’t touch!” he ordered.  “You’re going to kill someone!”  To CeeLo, he said, “Sorry.  Blake’s six foot five with the mind if an eight year old.”

            That made CeeLo chuckle.  He picked the pistol up and handed it back to Blake, who accepted it with a smile.  Then he turned to Adam.  “You have no idea what that is, do you boy?”

            “A glock?” Adam ventured.  “I…  _Blake!”_

            Blake cocked an eyebrow at Adam, confused, but he’d already pulled the trigger.  A small tongue of flame appeared at the end of the barrel.

            “A lighter?”  Adam was in danger of evacuating his bowels.  “It’s a lighter!”

            “Of course it’s a lighter,” CeeLo grumbled.  “Come on, your buddy obviously knew it, or he wouldn’t have been playing with it!”

            “Of course,” Adam forced himself to say.  “Heh, guess he knows more about guns than I do.”

            Blake was too busy playing with the lighter to respond.

            Meanwhile, CeeLo was chuckling.  “A glock!  Sounds like the troublemakers are spreading rumors around the office again.  Did you hear the one about me carrying around brass knuckles, too?”

            “Yes, Sir,” Adam said weakly.  “I heard you were a gang member and killed a lot of people.”

            “Shit, boy!  I was an Eagle scout!  I sang in my church choir and volunteered at a nursing home!  I never had anything to do with any damned gang!  That sensation you’re feeling is someone pulling your leg.”  He indicated the lighter.  “They were supposed to represent the fire of our love.  Since neither of us had our parents around, we used them to light our unity candle at our wedding.”

            “Oh.”  Some of the tension drained out of Adam’s body, which made his headache ease slightly.  “Heh, I guess I’m pretty gullible, huh?  Believing that?”

            “You want to talk about gullible?  Let’s talk about my wife.”

            The tension was immediately back, along with Adam’s headache.

            CeeLo’s expression had turned sad again.  “Our wedding was as wild and crazy as we could make it.  We were both pretty outrageous, even then.  But back then, she was into wild sexy clothes and going dancing every night.  Then, as time went on, she moved on to…  Other tastes.”

            Adam cringed as CeeLo’s eyes stared at him.  “For what it’s worth, I didn’t want to.  I mean she didn’t hold a gun to my head and she’s a very pretty woman, but she blackmailed me!  She had my transcript…”

            “Ah, yes, your transcript.”  CeeLo looked down at the papers in front of him.  “So, you didn’t really make the dean’s list every year at school?”

            “No, I did,” Adam corrected.  “I just didn’t graduate.  I was in my last semester and at the top of my class before I dropped out.”

            “Were you really valedictorian of your high school?”

            “Yes, Sir.”

            “Damn, boy, what were you thinking, dropping out of school?”

            Adam squirmed.  “It’s kind of a long story.”

            “Ain’t it always?”  CeeLo folded his hands on the paperwork and looked hard at Adam.  “You know what I hate?” he began.  “I hate being lied to and taken advantage of.  And now that my eyes are open, I’m looking back through the past decade or so of my marriage and that’s all I see.  I believed that my wife hung the moon and the stars.  I would have done anything for her, boy, anything at all.  You ever been in love like that?”

            Adam looked down.  “Yes, Sir.”

            “She play you for a cuckold and a fool?”

            “I wasn’t married to her, but yes, Sir, she did.  That’s kind of how I ended up working here.”

            CeeLo leaned forward and folded his hands on his desk.  “Tell me.”

            Adam sighed and reluctantly told his boss about Behati.

            CeeLo listened and shook his head.  “Women,” he declared.  “They wrap us around their little finger!  Or I guess it’s more accurate to say they lead us around by the prick.  I’d sit here and compare notes with you on how it feels to be played for a fool.  Except your prick happened to be in my wife.  And that presents certain social difficulties, doesn’t it, boy?”

            Adam forgot how to breathe for a moment.

            “Now, your trainee came waltzing into my office a bit ago, no appointment, ignored Damion, no introduction and just announced, ‘That bitch Christina will fire Adam Levine if he doesn’t have sex with her on his lunch break because he lied on his application.  Monday she handcuffed him to her desk and he had to hide under it when you had sex with her.  Then she left him there for hours.  Would you please make her stop?’  Then he gestured for me to follow him.”  He shook his head.  “I gotta tell you, that had to be the biggest shock of my life!  I’ll admit, I had my suspicions before.  There was another boy, young and pretty like you are, that rumors were flying around about a few years back.  But me, being a love-blinded idiot, chalked them up to no more reliable than the ones you gave me today about my glock and brass knuckles and gang relations.  But still, I got suspicious, so one day I asked her about him.  She started crying and told me he had a crush on her and it was starting to make her uncomfortable.  Even though he hadn’t done anything, she asked me to have him transferred to another office.  So I did, and I thought that was the end of it.  Recently, I started hearing rumors that she’d found herself another pretty boy.  I didn’t even ask about it this time.  Figured if it was like last time, and she was uncomfortable again, she’d come to me, right?  So you can imagine my surprise when I followed this guy here and found the two of you the way I did.”

            Silence.  Adam had no idea what to say.  He stared at his folded hands in his lap and winced as his head throbbed.

            CeeLo got up, went to the bar, and pulled out three glasses and a decanter of dark amber liquid.  “You boys like brandy?”

            “Actually, I think Blake’s a bit of a teetotaler,” Adam called, “and I’m good, thanks.”

            “Tough shit.  We’re drinking.”

            Adam swallowed hard.  “Yes, Sir.”  He glanced at Blake, who shrugged, looking on with interest as CeeLo poured.

            CeeLo returned and handed glasses to Adam and Blake.  Then he brought his own glass and the decanter back to his desk with him.  The big man drained his glass in one go, grimaced at the burn, and poured another glass.  Not wanting to upset him, Adam took a drink.  It burned all the way down.  Adam figured it was at least 150 proof and probably cost more than he’d just paid for his apartment.  He tensed as Blake took a drink.

            Blake’s eyes grew very wide.  He swallowed several times, staring at the glass in his hand as though it were about to attack him.  Then he sat it on the desk and eyed CeeLo with trepidation.

            “You know, Adam,” CeeLo began, “you’re a good-looking guy.  I suppose Christina’s always had a thing for pretty young boys like you.  Thing is, you’re smart, too.”  He shifted through more papers in the folder.  “You do a hell of a good job, Adam.  Too good to still be where you’re at for this long.  Why didn’t you apply to HR for some assistance and finish school?”

            “I tried, Sir,” Adam ventured.  “But I had to go through Christina, and, um…”

            “She wouldn’t let you go, huh?”

            Adam sank a bit lower in his seat.  “No, Sir.”

            “What a bitch.”  CeeLo shook his head, looking over the papers.  “You know, it’s too bad.  The lighter in your buddy’s hand, Adam, cost me more to have made than you make in a month before taxes.  And yet, Christina threw me over for you.”

            “I didn’t want to do it!” Adam exclaimed.  “You heard what she said, right?  About how if I didn’t give her what she wanted, I’d be fired?”

            “Oh, I heard it.  And I also heard the stupid rumors flying around about me being a gang banger.”  He indicated the lighter.  “There’s the so-called glock I supposedly carry.  And this?”  He reached into a pocket and produced a tiny stuffed cat.  It squeaked when CeeLo sat it on the desk.  “There’s my brass knuckles.

            Adam stared at the cat.  He looked over at Blake.  The angel was still busy playing with the lighter, lighting the flame and letting it go out over and over with an amused smile on his face.

            “I was never in any gang, boy!” CeeLo declared.  “You can’t believe half the shit they say in those cubicles.  Gang banger!  I was a lover, not a fighter!”

             “So, does this mean you’re not going to kill me?”

            “Boy, why the hell should I kill you?  I’d love to beat the shit out of you, don’t get me wrong.  But what’s the point of that?  I saw her pin you down on that desk and I heard what she said.  I know what sexual harassment is, Adam.  Your ass is still fired, but it’s over what’s in this folder on your application and your transcript, not what I saw in my soon to be ex-wife’s office.”

            “Oh.”  Adam slumped.  Well, fired was better than murdered, he supposed.  But he had no idea what he was going to do now.

            CeeLo held out his hand, and Blake reluctantly handed the lighter over.  “Now, you,” he began.  “You know why I only have one folder in here?”

            “No?” Blake said.

            “Because you are not an employee of this company, that’s why,” CeeLo snapped.  “Now, who the hell are you?”

            “Blake Shelton,” Blake replied.  “Escort service.”

            Adam cringed, and CeeLo blinked.  “That horny bitch hired an escort service, too?”

            “No,” Blake corrected.  He indicated Adam.  “I escort Adam Levine.”

            Adam facepalmed.  CeeLo’s eyes were burning a hole through him.  “I have no idea what it is,” CeeLo declared, “but I’m sure there’s a rational explanation for this.”  He turned back to Blake.  “I’m going to assume you don’t mean you’re a sex worker?”

            “No.”

            “Then what are you?”

            Adam cleared his throat.  “It’s really very simple, actually,” he began, thinking fast.  If he told CeeLo the truth, he could possibly have both Adam and Blake committed.  But Adam had no idea how to explain Blake’s presence or what had happened.  He struggled for a lie CeeLo might believe.  “He’s an…  Er…  That is, Blake is really my…”

            “Lawyer,” Blake declared.

            Silence fell over the penthouse office.

            “I see,” CeeLo said at last.  “So, Adam, you planned all this out, huh?  You knew Christina would try her shit with you again today, so you had your lawyer bring me down to witness it?”

            Adam had lost the ability to speak.

            Blake, unfortunately, had not.  “If Adam didn’t give his bitch of a boss what she wanted, he’d be fired!  He had no other choice.  What would you do, man?  She’s your boss.  She won’t hurt you, but she can certainly fire you, and that gives her all the power.  If you don’t do what she wants, you’re out on the street!  So when someone like that tells you to have sex with her, or to let her jump on you while you’re handcuffed to her desk?  Really, what choice do you have?”

            Adam made a small noise.  If his eyes bulged any more, they would surely pop out of his head.  CeeLo was looking at Blake with something like horror.

            But Blake wasn’t finished.  “When you showed up, she’d already cuffed him to her desk and there wasn’t time to let him go.  She ended up leaving him there for hours.  He couldn’t stand it and was struggling to get loose.  Let’s look at some truths.  Adam, can I see your hand a moment?”  Without waiting for Adam’s response, Blake grabbed his hand, pushed back his sleeve, and showed the healing marks on his wrist to CeeLo.  “Now I am the one who is dealing with all of this.  We need to try to fight this battle with words, not fists or bolts of lightning or whatever the hell else you’ve got.  Alright?”

            CeeLo looked at Blake for a long moment.  Then he chuckled and shook his head.  “Damn, man!” he called.  “You do not piss around, do you?  I should fire those overstuffed suits we got on retainer and hire you!  But let’s get down to brass tacks.” 

            He steepled his fingers, tapping the tips of his index fingers against his chin as he looked at Blake.  Blake looked sternly back at him, and Adam suddenly realized that Blake had no idea that CeeLo was expecting him to offer terms.  Adam rapidly finished his drink, this time appreciating the burn.  “Look,” he began, “all I want is a chance, ok?  If that’s my employment folder, then you can see how good my work is.  Like you said, I should have been promoted a long time ago, and the reason I wasn’t was because Christina wouldn’t let me go.  She’s been blackmailing me all this time, using her position as my immediate supervisor to make me have sex with her and intentionally passing me over for promotions so she could keep me under her control.  What she did to me Monday was the last straw.  In fact,” he continued, inspired, “I was so emotionally distraught after what she did to me that I called off sick on Tuesday so I could see my lawyer here and try to develop a plan.  I’m sorry, Mr. Green.  I’m genuinely sorry that you had to find out about this like this.  But please understand, I was out of options!”

            “And now, Blake here has my balls in the palm of his hand,” CeeLo noted.  “You play a hell of a game, Shelton!”

            Blake looked at his palms, confused.

            “Here is what I’m asking,” Adam declared.  “Obviously, terminating me is off the table.  I want a full ride to the school of my choosing to finish my degree.  In return, I’ll agree not to file charges or pursue a lawsuit against the company for allowing this horrendous sexual harassment to continue as long as it has, or against you for threatening to fire me.”  He took a deep breath, deciding to press his luck.  “Oh, and I’d like the company to pick up my student loans as a token of good will.”

            “Is that all?” CeeLo asked.

            “Um, yes,” Adam said, glancing at Blake, who still looked confused.

            CeeLo began to laugh.

            Adam stared at him, not knowing what to make of this reaction.  Blake, distracted from his hands, looked up, raising one eyebrow at the laughing man.  CeeLo laughed and laughed until tears once again ran down his cheeks.  Blake calmly handed him another tissue.

            “Oh!  Thank you, Mr. Shelton,” CeeLo hiccupped.  “Whew!  I needed that.  Boy, for a smart guy, you’re dumb as hell, Levine, you know that?”

            Adam didn’t know how to respond to that.

            CeeLo closed the folder and grinned at him.  “I like you two,” he announced.  “You’ve both got some serious hair on your balls!  So here’s what I’m going to offer you.  First of all, there is no way in hell you are keeping your current position.  Sorry, I’m not done!” he called as Adam opened his mouth to protest.  “I’m not firing you, Levine.  You should have been promoted months ago, so I’m doing it now.  You’re on the second floor, effective tomorrow.  I’ll see to it that you get to finish your degree, I’ll take care of your loans, and I’ll do what you should have asked for.  I’ll give you a generous compensation package.”

            The CEO reached into his desk, produced a check book and pen, and quickly scribbled.  Then he tore the check off and handed it to Blake.  “How’s that look, my man?”

            “Alright,” Blake said.

            Adam quickly snagged the check before CeeLo realized Blake had been looking at it upside-down.  Then he simply stared at the number in shock.

            “Of course, we’ll offer you counseling services,” CeeLo was saying.  “You can take advantage of them if you want.  Maybe they can help you figure out why the hell you’d let someone like Christina take advantage of you like that?  God knows I’ll be seeing them to find out that same thing!  Oh yeah, take the rest of the week off to recover from your ordeal, with pay at your new level.  When you come back Monday, we’ll get you oriented to your new position.”  He looked at Blake.  “That sound good, big man?”

            “That just sounds corny as hell.”

            That put CeeLo into another laughing fit.  “I know, right?” he managed.  “Recover from his ordeal, this kid is so tough he’s already recovered!  But hey, never let it be said I’m not a sympathetic man.”  He rose, shook hands with Blake, and then offered his hand to Adam.  “Adam?  Thank you for ruining my life, but saving me from a horrible marriage.  Think about those counseling services, alright?”

            “Yes, Sir, I’ll do that.”  Counseling might be a good idea, considering.  He got up, still clutching the check with the outrageous number of zeroes on it, grabbed Blake by the arm, and started towards the door.

            “Oh, and Levine?”

            Adam froze.  “Yes, Sir?”

            “Find yourself a girlfriend, would you?  A guy like you shouldn’t be so damned lonely.  Now get the hell out and enjoy the rest of your week!”

            Adam blinked in astonishment.  He managed to mumble a quick thanks.  Then he dragged Blake out before the unpredictable angel could say anything else.

            He didn’t say anything in the elevator, but when they reached the ground floor, Adam stuck his head into the work area, waved to get Pharrell’s attention, and then mimed talking into a phone and mouthed “Call me later.”

            And then he and Blake were outside.

            The rain had let up, and the sky was a glorious blue.  Blake looked up, smiling.  The way the sun shone on his face made him look so handsome that Adam’s heart skipped a beat.  “C’mon,” he called, suddenly shy.  “Let’s go to the park.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mr. Fun loved Blake's save here! "Nicely done, Sir!" Shook his head at my description of Adam's headache. Laughed when he recognized Adam's speech, parroted back by Blake "I love it when he does that!"


	18. A Walk In The Park

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stunned and happy about his good fortune, Adam takes Blake for a relaxing walk in the park to celebrate

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, this park is based on a real place. It is, in fact, the very same park where I thought up most of my last fic and pretty much all of this one so far, swinging on the swing with my ipod playing through my headphones.
> 
> My lovely talented artist drew me another fantastic drawing based on this story, this time based on the chapter "A Gift From God." I have now linked this and the other two directly into the story, so if you go back through and see something underlined, try clicking it!
> 
> Song here, and main theme for Blake and Adam, is "God Gave Me You" by our own Blake Shelton  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGXHWqlH_dc

            Adam stopped by their apartment.  He was still hesitant, but Blake strolled right in.  After that, Adam relaxed.  The two quickly changed into regular clothes, Blake into a flannel shirt and jeans, Adam into a t-shirt and skinny jeans and his motorcycle boots.  Then they pulled on their jackets and the two headed out the door, walking the few blocks to the park.

            Except for a couple of moms watching over their children in the sandbox, they had the park to themselves.  It wasn’t very big, but it was grassy with several trees currently budding that would soon burst into full leaf.  Now that the rain had passed, the fragrant smell of a lilac bush in full bloom filled the park.

            Adam had originally planned to just stroll around, enjoying the park with Blake.  But Blake’s eyes fell on a swing set, and he quickly approached.  The big man looked the swings over with obvious curiosity, walking around them, examining them from every angle.  Adam smiled, sat down on one of the swings, and started swinging.  His legs were way too long to swing normally, so he bent them out to the side.  Blake watched, his smile growing wider.  Then he climbed onto the swing next to Adam and started mimicking his leg movements.

            “You need to lean back, like this,” Adam instructed.  “Swing your legs out as you lean, back and forth.  There you go, you’re getting it!  Damn, Big Country, those long legs of yours!  I know you don’t understand, but they’re sexy as hell, especially in those jeans.”

            Blake only smiled.  He swung with obvious delight, getting some real height now.  Adam grinned and matched him.  The two swung, laughing like children, until Adam got enough height.  Then he leaped off the swing at its highest forward arc, landing and throwing up his arms like an Olympic gymnast.

            A moment later, Blake landed next to him, mimicking Adam’s arm movements.  “Yeehaw!” he called

            Adam laughed.  “Yeehaw indeed!”  He couldn’t get over how beautiful Blake looked.  His blue eyes shone as he looked at Adam, and the sheer joy in his smile took Adam’s breath away.  The angel quickly returned to his swing and started pumping again.  Adam chuckled and did the same.  But this time, Adam didn’t move it much.  He watched as Blake once again built up height and jumped, laughing as he did.  Blake’s innocent childlike enthusiasm made his heart ache a little.

            This time, Blake’s smile was warm and gentle as he looked at Adam.  He once more returned to his swing, gently moving it back and forth as Adam was doing, eyes locked with his.  “Good angel?” he asked.

            “Very good angel!”  Adam shook his head.  “Blake, do you realize that you just solved the biggest problem in my life and removed my single biggest stressor?  Not only that, but this promotion will mean my money problems improve.  With no student loans, that gets even better, and the check CeeLo gave me?”  He shook his head.  “I don’t even know what to do with all that!  Get furniture for the apartment, I suppose.  I signed a six month lease, so I guess I’ll stay there, save up for a better place.  That pregnant lady next to Pharrell, the one with Godzilla?  Pharrell said she’s moving to Arizona to be closer to her family in a few months after the baby’s born.  Maybe we can rent her half, live out with Pharrell and his family.  I’d like that, wouldn’t you?”

            Blake nodded.  His smile grew soft and wistful as his eyes went up towards the sky.

            “Oh,” Adam realized, his heart suddenly sinking.  “You want to go home, as in your real home.  Because you don’t belong here, do you?”

            Blake didn’t respond right away.  His eyes were locked on the sky, the blue in them echoing that above.  “I like living with you, Rockstar,” he said at last.  “But I don’t belong here.  I’m trapped, and that’s…”  He shook his head.  “Need more words.”

            “What are you trying to say?”

            “The fact is, you’re in danger, buddy.  While I’m… handcuffed?  I can’t fight.  And the demon will…”  He frowned, obviously straining for the words.

            “They’ll come for you, won’t they?  Demons?” Adam said quietly.  “And they’ll keep coming until they get you.  Then what will they do?  Kill you?”

            Blake nodded, and Adam couldn’t suppress a shudder.  _So he can be killed.  I’d so hoped that wasn’t possible!_   “Can they find you here?”

            Blake indicated himself.  “They can’t find me like this, won’t be able to track me easily.  But if I…?”  He rolled his lips into his mouth, thinking hard.  “If I make with the holy rolling?  Then yes.”

            “So they can find you if you use your powers?  Is that what you’re saying?”

            Blake smiled and nodded again.

            “That’s why it came for you last night, isn’t it?” Adam realized.  “Because you’d used your powers to save me from that bus.  That’s like shooting off a flare to them, isn’t it?  The instant you popped out your wings, you told them where you were.  Then it, what, followed you home?”

            The angel nodded.  “It… doesn’t stay here long, but…”  Blake was looking frustrated.

            “What doesn’t stay here long?”

            “Shooting off a flare,” Blake explained.  “Doesn’t stay here long, but yes.  It followed me home.”

            “So, when you use your powers, it leaves a lingering effect?” Adam guessed.  “Like a scent trail?”

            Blake brightened and nodded.  “Yes.”

            “Then I guess that means you won’t be doing any miracles for a while.”  He frowned.  “Wait, there’s something I’ve been wondering about.  A couple of times now, you’ve put your hand over my eyes and told me to sleep, and I’d go right under.  Was that…?”  When Blake nodded, he pressed, “But no demons came after you when you did that.  Why?”

            “That’s… little?  Little.  And it’s you.”

            Adam’s eyebrows went up in surprise.  “It makes a difference when it’s me?”

            “Yes.”

            “Because you’re, um, escorting me?”

            The smile broadened.  “Yes.”

            But Adam looked serious.  “Blake, since you came into my life, you have made everything about it better.  I won’t lie to you and say that I’m not selfish enough that I want you to stay.  There’s part of me that wants you to stay ‘handcuffed’ forever, just so I can keep you.  But I know you need to go back, and that as long as you’re trapped in this body, you’re in danger.  Speaking of your body, is that yours, or are you, like, possessing some sap?”

            “Mine.”

            “So, you were never human?  You were always an angel?”

            “Always an angel.  But not everyone is the same.  Some were human.”

            That was interesting, but Adam’s mind was already moving on.  “Pharrell and I already planned to hit the library after work,” he said.  “We need to do some research, understand what we’re dealing with here.  So here’s the plan.  Let us research, then we’ll come back to you and see if what we found is actually, you know, legit.  Then we’ll all sit down and try to figure out a plan.  Alright?”

            “Alright.  Now be careful with this.  It’s going to…”  He shook his head.  “Demons can be attracted to you, because of me.”

            “It’s going to be dangerous.  Yeah, I kind of already figured that part out, buddy,” Adam sighed.  “That’s why you took me with you into the bathroom, instead of just taking off, wasn’t it?  Because that demon would have taken either one of us, huh?  You, because of what you are, and me, because you’re assigned to me?”

            It was like the light faded from Blake’s eyes.  His shoulders slumped, and his head sagged in misery.  “I’m sorry.  I don’t want you to go through this.  But we don’t have a choice.  I’m trapped, and you…”  He made an impatient twirling gesture with his hand.  “They can hurt me if they hurt you.  You’re…”  Blake was looking frustrated again.  He grabbed Adam’s wrist, pressed his own against it, and closed one hand over them both, looking hopefully at Adam.

            Adam frowned and shook his head.  “I’m sorry.  But I don’t understand.”

            “It’s alright,” Blake sighed, letting go.  “It doesn’t matter.  Be careful, alright?”

            “Sure, buddy.”

            The two sat for a bit in silence.  Blake wrapped his arms around himself and gently swung back and forth.  Once again, he looked wistfully towards the sky.

            Suddenly, Adam couldn’t stand to see him looking upset anymore.  “Come on,” he called, slipping out of his jacket and leaving it next to the swings.  “Let’s go down the twisty slide!”

            Adam moved to the slide and scrambled up the ladder, motioning for Blake to join him.  Blake dropped his jacket next to Adam’s, ambled over and climbed up behind him. 

            “The secret to these things is to not let your heels drag,” Adam instructed.  “And don’t grab on to the sides!  Just lift your heels a little and down you go.  Like this, see?”  Adam grabbed the bar, swung his legs onto the slide, and went down, giving a little “Wee!” as he went down.  There was a large mud puddle at the bottom of the slide, which Adam splashed into with a grimace.  “Careful, Blake!” he called.  “There’s a big…”

            But Blake was already coming down.  Unfortunately, Adam realized too late that he’d neglected to tell Blake to put his feet down at the end.  The big man slid right off the end of the slide and landed with a splash directly into the puddle.

            Muddy water flew everywhere, drenching Adam’s jeans as he failed to move back in time.  Blake stayed where he was, bottom in the puddle, covered in mud, laughing and clapping.  Back in the sand box, both of the mothers and their children were howling with laughter.  Adam was laughing just as hard, doubled over with his hands on his knees.

            Blake stood up, dripping water and chunks of mud from the seat of his jeans, and shook like a dog.  Then he gave Adam a wicked grin.

            Adam immediately stopped laughing.  “Don’t even think about it!” he warned, backing away.

            Blake stalked after him, waggling his eyebrows.

            Adam cursed softly and started running, but Blake quickly caught up to him.  “Ack!  No!” Adam yelled, struggling wildly as Blake dumped him over his shoulder and turned back around.  “Put me down!  Don’t you dare, Blake!  Nooooooooo!”

            The sound was somewhere between a splash and a splat.  Most of the water in the puddle had been knocked out by its previous occupant.  But when Blake dumped Adam into the puddle, there was certainly plenty of mud.  As their audience screamed in delight, a thoroughly muddied Adam glowered up at Blake.  “Ok, Shelton!  This means war!”

            Blake spread his hands in a “come get some” gesture.  “Here I am, Levine!”

            Adam managed to get up, grimacing at the wet sucking sound his rear made as he heaved it out of the mud, producing more laughter from the entertained group at the sandbox.  Then he charged after Blake.

            Blake took off running through the park.  He vaulted the seesaw, ducked under the jungle gym and charged through the sandbox, waving at the mothers and their children.  Adam followed him as he raced back through the swing set and ducked under the smaller slide.  But when Adam ducked under it after him, he discovered that Blake had grabbed the ladder and used it to swing himself around, doing an abrupt change of direction.  Adam stumbled after him.

            Blake, jogging backwards, waited until Adam closed the distance and then shot out a hand, grabbing the top of Adam’s head and pushing it down.  Adam yelled in protest, straining to reach Blake, held back by the reach of the angel’s long arm.  “I’m going to end you, Big Country!” he bellowed.  “You ruined my jeans!  They’re caked with mud!”

            Blake only laughed.  He quickly let Adam’s head go as he nimbly danced aside, laughing again as Adam stumbled past him.  Grinning, Adam turned and charged into Blake’s middle, tackling the big man to the ground.

            The children laughed and their mothers cheered as Blake and Adam wrestled around on the ground, grass stains and bits of leaves and twigs adding to the mess they’d already made of themselves.  Adam did his best, but Blake was simply too big and too strong.  Before long, Adam found himself kicking and squirming, dumped over Blake’s shoulder once again.

            All Adam could see was Blake’s broad back, but the way the mothers were laughing and screaming, Adam knew he was in trouble.  “Where are you taking me?” he yelled.  “Put me down!”

            “Alright!”

            And suddenly, Adam was falling.  The sound this time was most certainly a splash as Blake dumped him off the bank and into the stream running next to the park. 

            Even though it was swollen from the spring rains, the stream was only a couple of feet deep.  Adam still went completely under.  The water was felt like it had come directly from a glacier.  He quickly popped to the surface, gasping.  But before Adam could do more than spit water out of his mouth, Blake had jumped in after him, dousing him again.  Adam responded by splashing him. 

            Blake splashed back.

            Then it was a full-fledged water battle, the two yelling and laughing and doing their best to ensure the other was completely and utterly soaked.

            Thoroughly drenched, they waded back out of the stream.  By now, the mothers were wiping tears of laughter from their faces and the children were cheering.  Adam took a bow, which Blake mimicked.  This earned them more cheers.  Then Adam gathered up his jacket and handed Blake’s to him.  “Just carry this,” he advised.  “If we put them on, they’ll just get soaked.  It’ll get a bit cold when the wind blows, but we’ll survive long enough to get back inside.”  He paused, looking up at Blake.  “Um, why are you looking at me like that?”

            Blake was staring at Adam, his eyes wide and an astonished expression on his face.  His mouth worked, as if he were trying to speak or swallow, but somehow wasn’t able to do either.  And then he blushed fiercely.  He ran a hand through his hair, making it stick out in all directions.  He looked away, took a deep breath, and then looked back at Adam.  Then he shook his head.  “I love you, Adam.”

            “Heh, I love you too, big guy,” Adam replied, smiling.  “I cannot believe you threw me into the stream!  Why the hell did you do that?"

            Blake was still staring at Adam, but he shrugged.  “Because I ruined your jeans.”

            “Oh, so you decided to rinse them off?  Ha ha, very funny!  Why’d you throw me into the mud in the first place?”

            Blake smiled.  “Because it was very funny!”

            “Dickhead.”

            “Asshole.”

            “Whatever, let’s get back and get cleaned up and into some dry clothes.”

            “Alright.”  Blake was still looking at him, but his expression had grown soft.

            They dripped their way back to the sidewalk, heading back to the apartment.  “I’m just glad my watch is waterproof,” Adam called as he glanced at it.  “We still have a bit of time before we’re supposed to meet up at Pharrell’s place to go to the library.  We are definitely going to have to change and at least rinse off in the shower first.”

            The wind seemed to blow right through Adam to his bones, and he was immediately covered in goosebumps.  “Wow, I’m going to be an icicle by the time we get back!” he declared.

            “No you won’t.”  Blake’s arm went around Adam’s shoulders, pulling him close to the larger man’s side.  Adam slipped his arm around Blake’s waist and closed his eyes for a moment as Blake leaned down to gently kiss the top of his head.

            If only Blake could understand how that made him feel!

            _Just enjoy it while you’ve got it,_ he told himself.  _He’s an angel.  He can’t give you what you want, and even if he could, he can’t stay.  So stop dreaming about what you’d like, and appreciate what you’ve got!_

            It was great advice, and Adam was determined to take it.  He tightened his arm around Blake, glad for the warmth as the wind chilled him, and kept walking.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mr. Fun thought this chapter was extremely funny. "As soon as he picked Adam up, I knew he was going in that puddle. The second time, I thought he was going back in the puddle, but the stream was even funnier! Hey, he rinsed off his jeans!" Said he loves Blake's childlike glee, and it was great to see him just acting like a child.


	19. Of Angels, Men, and Demons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adam and his friends head to the library to do some research

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, I would like to mention that I am not basing this story on the beliefs of any particular religion. That being said, I did, in fact do enough research to be able to pick and choose what I wanted for this story. That means that the beliefs held by multiple religions are represented here. But it's fictional, luvs, and not intended to say anything about any one religion, so don't get your knickers in a twist.

            Freshly showered and changed, Adam and Blake piled into Adam’s car.  They made a quick stop at the bank to deposit CeeLo’s check.  Then they headed to Pharrell’s.  Pharrell called while they were traveling, and Adam quickly filled him in on what had happened in CeeLo’s office.

            “You and your crazy luck, Adam!” Pharrell exclaimed.  “Only you could get caught almost literally with your pants down, about to fuck your boss’s wife by the man himself, and end up with a promotion!”

            “This wasn’t Oden luck this time, buddy.  It was all Blake,” Adam replied, smiling at Blake.  “That’s just him doing his job!”

            “Blake, you’re a crazy ass motherfucker, but you’re one hell of a guardian angel, buddy!”

            Blake squirmed and looked away.  “I’m not.”

            “Oh, don’t be bashful!” Adam exclaimed as Pharrell snorted.  “Pharrell’s right.  Hey Pharrell, we’re about five minutes out.  See you soon!”

            They arrived in the middle of a domestic.  Jenny and Pharrell had apparently gotten take-out, to which Blake and Adam quickly helped themselves.  But now they were arguing over who would go to the library with Adam and who would stay home and watch the kids.  Blake, not interested in the question, allowed himself to be led outside by the twins for a game of catch.

            Leesha tugged on Adam’s arm until he picked her up and got a kiss on his cheek.  “Did you hang my picture on your fridge?” she asked.

            Adam made a face.  “I forgot!  I’m sorry, I was bad.  It’s still here in my pocket.”  He patted the breast pocket of his jacket, where Leesha’s picture still protruded slightly.  “I haven’t even had a chance to look at it yet!  But I promise I’ll hang it up as soon as I get home.”

            “If you don’t, you’re grounded, young man!” Leesha warned him in her best mommy voice.

            Adam hung his head.  “Yes, Ma’am.”  He got another kiss on the cheek, gave Leesha one in return that made her giggle, and then lowered the squirming little girl.  She immediately ran off after Blake and her brothers.

            “We need a babysitter,” Jenny was telling Pharrell when Adam returned to them.  “Adam needs all the help he can get to learn all he can about Blake and what’s going on with the two of them, but we can’t take the kids to the library!  The boys might read children’s books, but Leesha will be bored and throw a tantrum.”

            “Woman, who are we going to get to babysit at five thirty on a Wednesday?” Pharrell wanted to know.  “None of the people we use are available on a Wednesday!  Jessica’s working, Danni’s at her mom’s, and Martha’s got her ceramic’s class!  We can’t even ask Misty next door because she’s out tonight, too.  Godzilla’s a latchkey pup tonight and we’re supposed to let him out.”

            Jenny was peering out the window, looking at her sons as they showed Blake how to play catch.  “You know, we got the perfect solution right there!” she exclaimed.  “What better babysitter can we ask for than a guardian angel?”

            Adam frowned.  “Blake wouldn’t let them get hurt, but he’s not much better than a child himself in a lot of ways,” he warned.  “He can’t read or really count past ten, and he wouldn’t know how to call for help if anything happened.”

            “That, we can correct,” Pharrell said.  “We’ll leave him one of our phones, show him how to call us if anything goes wrong.  Jen’s right, he’s perfect for this!  If he can’t read, he won’t be much help in the library anyway, and we can’t really ask him much in front of other people.  The kids love him.  Blake can babysit them, while the three of us go research, bring back whatever we can find, and then sit him down and find out the real story!”

            “I like the way you think,” Jenny declared.  “Let me give him my phone, show him how to call us.  I’ll show him where both of your numbers are.”

            Adam was glad his own phone still functioned.  It had been in his nightstand in his old apartment and had survived Blake’s arrival, and the subsequent destruction of his apartment, with only a cracked screen.  Now that he had some cash on hand, he supposed he should get a new one.  Maybe he should get Blake one, too?  One he could use with a prepaid card would do the trick, so long as Adam’s number, and probably Pharrell’s, was pre-programmed into it.

            “That man just will never be happy about being separated from you, Levine,” Jenny called, returning.  “But the kids heard me ask him and they clung to him and begged and pleaded until he finally smiled and said yes.”

            “Great!” Pharrell called.  “Then let’s get going!”

            Jenny gave Blake some last-minute instructions.  She reminded Blake how to use the phone, told him where the key to Misty’s door was and that he needed to remember to let Godzilla out to pee, showed him once more how to use the phone, and then finally climbed into the minivan with Pharrell and Adam.

            The three adults were all looking back at Blake and the children in the front yard as Pharrell pulled out.  The angel was busy in a game of catch with all three children and appeared to be enjoying himself.  “He’ll be ok, right?” Jenny asked, suddenly sounding worried.  “No danger of anything coming after him or the kids?”

            “He told me today that demons can’t find him easily while he’s in his human form,” Adam explained.  “The reason that one came last night was that he’d popped out his wings, used his powers to save me from that bus.  So long as he keeps his wings under wraps and doesn’t do anything miraculous, he should be safe and so should the kids.”

            “I think I’ll call him anyway, just to remind him,” Jenny said.  “Pharrell, gimme your phone.”

            Pharrell rolled his eyes.  “Blake’s not an idiot, Jen!  He’s the one who told Adam that he’ll attract a demon if he uses his powers.  So if something happens and he’s forced to, that’s when he’ll call us.  The man is a guardian angel!  Let him do his job!”

            She held up her hands.  “You’re right.  I’m being a fool, I know,” she sighed.  “The kicker is, I think I trust Blake more than I trust Dani anyway, and Martha’s just getting too old to chase after those twins, the poor dear.”

            “I just wish I understood exactly what it is that’s weakened Blake so much,” Adam mused.  “He talked a little about it today, but he still doesn’t have the right words.  He keeps saying he’s ‘handcuffed.’  You know, I think he’s saying he’s bound somehow, but how or to what, I have no idea.”

            “Only a nerd like you would know that,” Pharrell commented.

            “I knew my days of tabletop gaming would come in handy someday,” Adam responded, unashamed.  “So I think this is how we should divide the work.  I’ll focus on binding spells.  Jen, could you focus on finding information about guardian angels?  And Pharrell, if you focus on demons, we can get a lot of information.”

            All three agreed to this plan.  A few minutes later, they were at the library, gathered at a table, frowning in concentration as they leafed through books.

            “This stuff here,” Pharrell declared some time later, “is scaring the shit out of me.  What did you two find?”

            “There’s lots of information on binding spells,” Adam reported.  “But it’s all for demons and that sort of thing.  Besides, the whole point of a binding spell on a demon is to harness its power.  Whatever’s on Blake, it’s weakened him to the point where he couldn’t fight off a demon.  That seems kind of counter-productive, doesn’t it?  I mean, why put a leash on an angel if it’s going to weaken him so much?  What’s the point of leashing him in the first place?”

            “Hey, you’re the closest thing to an expert we got here,” Pharrell defended.  “You found something that might explain what’s keeping Blake on Earth.  Keep looking.”

            Adam nodded.  “It’s worth looking into.  I’m on it.  What about you, Jen?”

            “Well, for starters, there’s a bit of a debate on the number of guardian angels.  Some say there’s one for every human, some say there’s two, and some say that one angel is responsible for several humans.  I wonder which one is right?  Think Blake will tell us?  He got pretty hush-hush when we tried to ask him about other angels before.”

            “True,” Adam mused.  “Some things I guess he isn’t allowed to talk about, or just doesn’t want to.  What else did you find?”

            “That whatever beat up Blake has got to have some serious power behind it,” Jenny declared.  “Angels are tough to beat.  There’s nothing here on what can do it outside of demons.  But angels can, apparently, take human form, either temporarily or permanently.  There’s a few cases I was looking at.  And in one, the angel stayed, got married, and lived to a ripe old age with her husband.”

            Both Jenny and Pharrell were looking at Adam now.  Adam had stopped breathing.  _He could stay!_

            But even as he thought that, he was shaking his head.  “Blake wants to go back,” he reminded his friends.  “I don’t think he chose this, to be locked in human form.  He can obviously still access at least some of his powers, but if he does that, he risks being torn to shreds.  I can’t ask him to stay like that!  They tied him down in the hospital, and he begged me to help him.  Now, I think he’s still tied down, and I still have to help him.”

            Pharrell squeezed Adam’s shoulder, and Adam shot him a grateful smile.

            “Well, it says here that the cases of angels staying in human form all did that voluntarily anyway,” Jenny added.  “So I guess Blake can make his own decision, once you get those handcuffs off of him.”

            Adam didn’t know what to say to that, so he changed the subject.  “Pharrell, what did you find out?” he asked.

            “That I really do not want to meet any demons,” Pharrell replied, shivering.  He slid a book over.  “If they look anything like the pictures, tearing someone to shreds wouldn’t be hard.  Check out those claws!”

            Adam looked.  The drawing showed a humanoid figure with cloven hooves for feet, horns, leathery wings, and a whip tail.  Long, curved claws extended from its bony fingers.  Adam tapped on the hooves.  “I suppose hooves like that could have made the sounds I heard last night,” he said.  “But honestly, it sounded more like claws.”

            “Well, there’s apparently a whole bunch of varieties,” Pharrell said, flipping the pages.  “That one is a warrior.  If I had to guess, I’d say that what was in your apartment was probably one of these.  A hunter demon.”

            Adam was now looking at a picture of another humanoid figure, this one crouched on all fours.  Long claws extended from its fingers and toes, and it had a long nose and stunted wings.  “I think you may be right,” Adam mused, chewing on his lower lip.  “There’s the claws I heard, and with a nose like that, it would explain the sniffing.  You said it’s a hunter demon?”

            “They’re in the same category as wendigoes, cousins or some such thing,” Pharrell said.  “Whatever you call them, they scare the shit out of me.  If one of these things was in your apartment, you’re lucky to be alive!  Blake was damned smart to drag you into the tub.  Assuming you just took a shower, your scent was diluted, especially if you used deodorant soap.  Hunters are scent trackers.  It might have gotten to Blake by following whatever angelic residue he left behind after opening his wings, but once it was in, it was tracking by scent.  And both of your scents were all over that apartment.  Your bathtub had the same soap and shampoo you’d just used, smelling nice and strong, and probably the only thing you had in your apartment last night that could have potentially blocked your scent.”

            “That’s why it tore into the bags of Blake’s clothes,” Adam realized.  “It was tracking his scent!  And it didn’t check in the shower because all it could smell was the deodorant soap and scented shampoo I got from the motel!”  He shook his head.  “Blake really does know what he’s doing, doesn’t he?  He was pretty upset with himself for drawing it to us in the first place, though.  I think he probably acted on instinct to save me, and then maybe thought it couldn’t track us the whole way back to the apartment.  Whatever happened, he clearly made a mistake, and was really upset about it.  But he still managed to get us through it.  I trust him.”

            “All three of us here trust Blake, that’s not even an issue,” Jenny said.  “But guardian angels are heavy hitters.  For something to beat him up?  It had to have a lot of power behind it.  Even now, Blake’s got to be able to do some real damage.  If he did have to fight a demon, he still might be a match for it.”

            “I’d prefer not to find out,” Adam sighed.

            “Tell me about it!  A weakened guardian angel would be quite a prize for these things,” Pharrell said.  “If Blake lights up again, every demon around is going to want a piece of him.  It would be a free for all, Adam!  We need to get you some holy water.”

            Adam and Jenny stared at him.  “You do remember I’m Jewish, right?” Adam reminded.

            “Doesn’t matter.  It’s not the symbol, it’s the belief, and you do believe in God, right?  That’s all it takes.  We need to get you something you can use to defend yourself and Blake, and holy water’s real easy to get our hands on.  There’s some other things we can use, too, some herbs to burn and that sort of thing.  We need to make a list.”

            “Alright.  We got any paper?  Ah, wait.”  Adam reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out Leesha’s drawing.  “I can write on the back of this," he said, opening it up.  “You said there were…”

            Adam went silent, staring at Leesha’s drawing.  It was the one he’d seen the other day, when Leesha had first met Blake, that showed the usual figures of herself and Adam.  Blake had been drawn behind them.  But what Adam had originally mistaken for long arms raised in a victory salute had been completed.

            Blake was portrayed with large, obvious wings.

            Trembling, Adam turned the drawing, placing it on the table for his friends to see.  “She drew this when she first met him,” he recalled.  “Long before I found out what he was!  She already knew!  How did she know?”

            “Because she’s a young child,” Jenny replied softly.  Her eyes were huge as she stared at the drawing.  “The boys are probably too old, but Leesha’s still young enough to be able to perceive the spirit world.  I read about it, how very young children are innocent enough that they can sometimes see angels.  Leesha knew what he was all along!”  She gasped.  “They can also sometimes be captured on film!  Pharrell, didn’t you videotape Blake when that fake National Security agent tried to kidnap him and Adam?”

            Pharrell fumbled for his phone, nearly dropping it.  He quickly brought up the video.

            There it was, the faint shimmer of light just behind Blake’s back where Adam remembered seeing his wings.  But Raymond was different as well.  In the video, his face swam, distorted and disfigured.

            “What is he?” Jen breathed.  “Blake said he wasn’t a demon, but that can’t be human!”

            “Wait, just a moment,” Pharrell called.  “I saw something just before the end, when Blake grabbed Adam.”  He backed the video up, let it play again, and paused.  “There, see that?  What’s that on Blake’s arm?”

            “Looks like a lens flare to me,” Adam replied.  “But I don’t see anything that could be causing it.  We were in a parking garage, and no one came past us.”

            “Look at my baby girl’s drawing,” Jenny urged, pushing the drawing over.  “She drew Blake’s hands out to the side, but look at his wrists.  See the little stars she drew?  Isn’t that one on his right arm drawn exactly where that so-called lens flare is?”

            The three compared the drawing to the frozen picture on Pharrell’s screen.

            “No halo on Blake, though,” Pharrell noted.

            “And that’s precisely why I think this is an accurate depiction,” Adam declared.  “Leesha didn’t just imagine Blake as an angel, or she’d probably give him one.  Maybe when he’s in his heaven in his true form he’s got one, but he didn’t seem to have it when he carried me from that bus.  Just those wings, and he seemed to glow a bit.”  Adam shook his head.  “He was beautiful, what more can I say?  The most amazing thing I’ve ever seen!”

            “So she really can see him!”  Pharrell’s face was full of awe.

            “We need to talk to Leesha,” Adam sighed, looking between the two parents.  “She’s seeing so much more than we can!  And we need to try to get that video my asshole neighbor took on the night Blake showed up and saved me.  It was pouring rain that night, so it’s a good thing he has a waterproof case, but it still probably will mess up the video.”

            “Best we got,” Pharrell agreed.  “We’ll swing by that motel and see if he’s still there.  We done here?”

            “Just let me write that list of herbs on the back of this drawing.”  Adam quickly took the pen Jenny offered from his purse and wrote.  “Alright,” he declared, handing the pen back.  “Let’s talk to Jeff.”

****

            Jeff, fortunately, was still at the motel.  He was also stoned again.  He had a lot to say to Adam.  But Jenny wouldn’t have any of it.  She grabbed a fistful of his shirt and got directly in his face.  “What you filmed that night affects my friend, and it might indirectly affect my little girl,” she told him sternly.  “Boy, you better get up off of your ass and get us that video!”

            Jeff promptly produced his phone and sent the video to Pharrell.  “You can’t sell it, man,” he grumbled.  “I offered it to every network, but they said it was too poor quality.  Not my fault it was raining!”

            No one was listening to him.  Adam, Jen, and Pharrell were bent over Pharrell’s phone, their eyes on the video.

            The video showed the remains of Adam’s apartment.  Jeff was commenting, and Pharrell quickly muted it.  Jeff turned his camera to film the flattened wreck of Adam’s car, but there was no sign of Blake.  There were, however, two figures with flashlights, standing on the edge of the sidewalk, shining their lights over the wreck.

            “Their faces!” Jenny squeaked.  “They’re the same thing that fake agent was!”

            “Actually, I think it may be the fake agents,” Pharrell corrected.  “Blake said he landed on Adam’s car because they beat him up, remember?  Well, there’s your proof.  They were right there!”

            “But where’s Blake?” Adam wanted to know.  “Those guys are looking for something.  It’s got to be him, right?  But where is he?”  He gasped.  “There!  He’s right there, hiding behind that hedge!  Look, he knows they’re looking for him, and he’s hiding!  Dammit, Jeff, you turned away!”

            “Dude, I have no idea what the fuck you’re talking about,” Jeff declared.  “You’re missing my awesome commentary!  I…”

            Adam grabbed him by the arm, shoved him back inside the motel room, and kicked the door shut.  Then he quickly returned to his friends and the video.

            “You didn’t miss anything,” Jenny informed him.  “He’s showing the apartment building.  That’s the bed where you were trapped?”

            “Yeah, I was screaming for help about now,” Adam said.

            Pharrell turned the volume back on and they listened, but couldn’t hear anything over the rain and Jeff’s chatter.  But then a tall figure moved past the camera.

            “Here comes Blake!” Pharrell said.  “And look at his back, same thing as in my video!  But I don’t see anything on his arms.  Holy shit, he strolled right into a burning building!”

            Blake was standing in the burning apartment, staring down at the bed.  His face was a perfect blank.

            “What’s he doing?” Jenny asked.  “He has to be able to hear you there.  Why isn’t he helping you yet?”

            Adam shook his head.  “I don’t know.  I had no idea when he came in, no idea anyone was there until he lifted up the bed.”

            Then, annoyingly, Jeff began filming the argument between the couple next door.

            All three of the viewers yelled in protest, but Jeff’s focus remained on the screaming couple for an agonizing length of time.  And then he finally swung back to the apartment building, where Adam could be seen embracing a surprised-looking Blake.  Blake’s face broke into a smile and his arms went around Adam.

            “There it is, same flash, just like before!” Pharrell said, pausing the video.  “Both of his arms this time, see?”

            “Yeah,” Adam said, peering at the video.  “What the hell is that?”

            “Let’s take this home, load it onto my computer, and see if it’s more clear,” Jenny offered.  “But right now, we should probably get back.  We’ve left poor Blake alone with those kids for three hours and it’s getting dark soon.”

            “We’ll talk to Blake tonight, and tomorrow after work we’ll go back to the library with you, look up some more,” Pharrell planned, smiling at Adam.  “I gotta tell you, this is the most exciting thing that ever happened to me!”

            Jenny punched his arm.  “I thought you said the birth of your kids was the most exciting thing that ever happened to you!”

            “Ok, then this is number two.”  Pharrell sprinted towards the minivan.  “Come on, fools!  Let’s get back home so we can talk to Leesha and Blake!”

****

            The minds of all three were buzzing with questions during the ride back.  Lost in thought, no one said anything during the trip.  But as Pharrell pulled into the driveway of his duplex and parked, he frowned.  “What the hell?” he called climbing out of the minivan.  “Boys!  Get your asses down out of that tree!  Where’s Blake and your sister?”

            In the fading light, the two little boys could barely be seen.  “They’re in the back, having a tea party in the sandbox,” one of the twins, Adam thought it was Paul, called down as both boys started their descent back to Earth.

            “What is he thinking, letting you two in that tree?” Jenny exclaimed.

            “That they’re probably fine,” Adam defended.  “I used to climb trees all the time when I was a kid!  Drove my mother nuts.”

            Jenny frowned.  She put her hands on her hips, glowering down at her sons as the twins ran over.  “What were you doing up there?”

            “We wanted to see the fire trucks,” Jerome informed her.

            “Fire trucks?”

            He nodded.  “The house is full of smoke and it set off the alarm, so we’re waiting for the fire trucks.”

            _“What?”_   Jenny went racing for the door.

            As soon as she opened it, smoke billowed out.  She shrieked and ran inside.  Now they could hear the sound of the smoke detectors going off.

            The source of the smoke turned out to be the oven.  Jenny opened it and removed something blackened and burnt to a crisp into a cake pan.  “What is this?” she exclaimed.

            “We asked Blake to make us some chocolate cake!” Paul explained happily.  “And we helped!”

            “You asked…!”

            Jenny couldn’t finish, but there was no need to.  The kitchen was a shambles.  Besides being full of smoke, there was an opened box of cake mix on the floor next to a broken eggshell.  A container of milk sat opened on the counter next to the remains of a melting stick of butter.  The walls were decorated in dark splatter that appeared to have originated from the blender, which sat in the sink covered with cake batter.  There was no sign of the lid of the blender.

            “We couldn’t find the beater, so we used the blender instead,” Jerome said when his mother picked up the blender.  “But we forgot the lid!”  He laughed.  “It was really funny, momma!”

            Pharrell ground his teeth, picked up a twin under each arm, and started marching towards their room.  But he stopped when he reached the living room.  “What in the hell happened in here?” he exclaimed.

            “We was playing artist!”

            _“Jenny!_   What the fuck are those things on the windows?”

            “We was decorating, daddy!”

            “Yeah, daddy, we found those in the bathroom.  They stick real well!”

            “Oh my!”  Jenny raced out and rapidly started peeling what appeared to be feminine napkins off of the windows.  “Adam Levine, don’t you dare look at my maxi pads!  You get your ass out back and you find that angel!  I’ma rip his wings off!”

            “Momma, we love Blake!  He’s the bestest babysitter ever!”

            “Can Blake babysit us all the time?  We like him a lot better than Martha, and he don’t smell like she does!”

            Pharrell sniffed.  “Why the hell do you boys smell like your mother’s bubble bath?”

            “We gave Godzilla a bath!”

            Jenny paused.  “You gave the dog a bath in my bubble bath?”

            “Yeah, but there was too many bubbles and they went all over the bathroom.”

            “It was so fun, mommy!  We was jumpin’ in the bubbles, and making bubble snowmen…”

            Jenny made a small noise and went back to peeling pads off of the windows.  Pharrell stormed off towards the twins’ bedroom with the laughing boys.

            Adam could only stare, stunned, at the destruction in the living room.  Along with the pads on the windows, the room had been decorated with crayon on the walls, what appeared to be marker on the sofa, and a dark substance that smelled suspiciously like mustard on the screen of the television.  Something dripped from the ceiling.  Adam looked up to see more mustard stains.  It appeared that someone had gotten very creative with the squeezable bottle.  The drop had landed on the twist of cornrows at the back of Jenny’s head as she frantically worked to clear off the windows.  Adam chose not to tell her.

            He waited until Pharrell had stomped up the stairs with the twins.  And then he went out the back door to find Blake and Leesha.

            Blake was seated in the sandbox with Leesha and Godzilla, the Rottweiler from next door that Blake was supposed to let out and then return to the house.  Belatedly, Adam realized they’d forgotten that last direction.  The mighty Godzilla, who had terrorized Adam when they’d first met, was lying outside the sandbox fragrant with floral scented bubble bath and wearing Leesha’s pink frilly princess costume, looking resigned with his great head on his paws. 

            The crown from the costume was perched on Blake’s head.  His face bore a happy smile, his eyes fixed on Leesha, who chatted away at him.  In his hand, Blake held a tiny toy teacup for Leesha to pretend to fill with tea.  Several of her dolls were seated around the sandbox to participate in the tea party.  Spotting Adam, Leesha waved.  “Come on over!  We’re playing tea time!”

            From behind and above him, Adam heard the window in the twins’ room open.  Pharrell appeared, waving smoke out.  “What the hell happened to the wall?  _Adam!  There’s a hole through the damned wall!”_

            “We was playing jailbreak,” Leesha informed Adam.  “We dug us a tunnel!  Blake broke through from my room to the twins’ with daddy’s hammer!”

            “Pharrell, my pads are leaving adhesive all over the windows!”

            “Whose idea was it to let the giant child watch the other three children?  _Adam!”_

            “Adam, what the hell were you thinking?  You wait until I get my hands on you, boy!”

            “Don’t you yell at him, woman!  You thought it was a great idea!”

            “I didn’t hear you say any different, mister!  How big is the hole in the wall?”

            “I’d say about two feet.”

            “You said _what?”_

            Adam looked around, taking in the sight of the smoke billowing out of the opened windows, the giant dog in the princess costume, and the angel wearing the tiny plastic princess crown and pretending to sip tea in the sandbox in the fading light, all but unaware of the chaos he’d just caused.  And then he started to laugh.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mr. Fun liked the research being done. Said it gives more insight to the story. Loved the chaos at the house, but thinks maybe childcare isn't a real viable career option for Blake.


	20. The Mind of a Child

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adam, Pharrell, and Jenny sit down with Leesha and Blake to learn what they can.

            “He’s an angel, mommy,” Leesha informed her mother.  “He’s got big white wings!”

            Adam, Pharrell and Jenny were seated at the table with Blake and Leesha.  Adam's friends had calmed down considerably when Adam offered to pay for the damages.  He was gladder than ever now for CeeLo's check.  He'd need it.

            “And what’s Blake got on his arms, baby?” Jenny asked.

            “Stars!”

            “Stars?”

            Leesha nodded.  “They ain’t there all the time, but they kind of flash and there they are.”

            Seated at the table, Blake didn’t say a word.  He’d propped his elbows on the table and rested his chin on his folded hands, eyes downcast.  His brow was furled and he appeared moody and upset.  But he didn’t protest or resist when Leesha grabbed one of his arms and tapped at his wrist.  “See, right here, there’s a star, and there’s another star on his other hand, too!”

            “What do you mean, a star?” Jenny pressed.  “You mean like a light?”

            “Like a star, mommy,” Leesha explained patiently.  “Like the north star, or the stars in the big dipper?  Blake, did you get them from heaven?”

            Blake looked down at her and smiled.  “No.”

            “Then where’d you get them?”

            “Bad people hurt me and put them on me,” he said, gently pulling his arm free.

            That seemed to upset Leesha.  “But why?  You’s an angel!”

            He shook his head.  “I don’t know.”

            “Honey, sometimes bad people do bad things to people who aren’t bad and don’t deserve it,” Pharrell explained.  “That’s why they’re bad.”

            “Baby, come over here to momma and sit on my lap,” Jenny urged.  “That’s my girl.  Honey, is Blake the first angel you saw?”

            “No.”

            “Where else did you see angels?”

            “There’s a man who has two pretty ladies,” Leesha replied.  “I don’t know his name, but sometimes I see him outside when the bus brings us home from school.”

            “So your school bus passes a man who has two lady angels?” Jenny asked, looking between Pharrell and Adam and back.  “Do you remember where?”

            “Brooklyn.”

            “Brooklyn?”  Jenny snapped her fingers.  “That’s what I forgot to tell you!  That one book I was reading on angels, the one that gave me the most information?  The author lives right in Brooklyn.  616 73rd street.”

            Adam quickly entered the address into the GPS on his phone.  “I’ll check it out tomorrow.”

            Jenny turned back to Leesha.  “What about here, baby?  Where are the angels for mommy or daddy or the twins?”

            The little girl shrugged.  “I never saw any.  But sometimes one comes by.  I seen him around the block a few times.”

            “Sounds like the ‘one angel for several humans’ theory is correct then,” Pharrell said.  “Except for Adam, who’s got Blake, and this guy in Brooklyn, who’s got two!  Blake, why is that?  What’s so special about certain people?”

            Blake got up and walked out.

            “Rude!” Jenny exclaimed as Adam rose to go after him.

            But Pharrell grabbed Adam’s arm.  “What are you going to do, buddy?” he asked.  “Shake him and try to order him to tell us?  If he doesn’t want us to know something or he’s not allowed to tell us, we’re not going to know about it, end of story!  So let the man go, huh?”

            Adam grimaced and sat down.  “You’re right.  It’s just…”

            Blake had returned, and he had his hands full of items which he placed on the table.  A framed picture of Leesha from the living room went on the end of the table in front of Adam.  A nerf football was placed near it.  Further away, he put a softball they’d been playing catch with earlier.  Finally, he put a baseball bat down.  “Most people are little,” he explained, speaking slowly as he searched for words.  “They live their lives never doing anything very important.  But all lives matter.  All people have a chance to be important to other people.  To make their lives better, to make the world just a little brighter than before.  Like this.”

            He showed them the bat, and then used it to gently tap the softball, causing it to roll slightly.  “See?  All people are like this.  Important to a few, maybe very important to one.  Understand?”

            The adults nodded.  “Most people only matter to those that love them, got it,” Pharrell said.  “But most of us come and go without making too much of a mark on the world.  That what you’re saying?”

            Blake nodded.  “Some people affect more people.”  He showed them the bat again, tapped the softball once more and this time let it bump into the football, getting it rolling.  Then he stopped the football and looked around.  “Understand?”

            “Yes, some people affect a lot more than just their immediate circle,” Pharrell nodded.  “Those are the people who get guardian angels?”

            But Blake was shaking his head.  “They’re free to make their own choices.  But those choices can be big.  So we…”  He shook his head again.  Then he started tapping the softball gently with the bat, moving it around on the table.

            “You, what, guide them, direct them?” Jenny guessed.  “Try to make sure they get where they’re supposed to be?”

            “Yes!”  Blake smiled gratefully at her, catching the softball and putting it back where it was.  “But they make their own choices.  All people do.”

            “Free will,” Pharrell declared.

            “You know, I did wonder about free will,” Adam mused.  “If there’s guardian angels, then there’s obviously a God, and therefore a divine plan of some sort.  And if I understand what you’re telling us correctly, Blake, you’re saying that most people don’t need guardian angels because they live ordinary lives and never do anything too spectacular.  But sometimes you have people who are the right people in the right place at the right time, and they can affect a lot of other people around them.  Those are the ones that the angels try to guide and direct.  Right?”

            “Right!  Thank you for the words.”

            “Dammit, Adam, repeat some of the important stuff we say!” Pharrell scolded.  “Give him the words so he can explain this to us!”

            Adam grimaced.  “Sorry.  Ok, free will makes a difference, clearly.  So what happens if someone you’re guiding into position where he or she can make a big difference for good gets led astray?  If I’m an angel and I’m trying to make this event happen, what are my options?”

            “Try to direct them back.  Or look for another.”

            “And if neither option works?  What happens then?”

            Blake sighed.  “Nothing.  Or bad.  Or worse.”

            “Ouch,” Jenny commented.

            “Missed opportunities really hurt, don’t they?” Adam said softly.  “When you know that the right person in the right place at the right time can make a big difference, that must really suck when the stupid human decides to go his own way.”

            “Yeah,” Blake sighed.  “Free will is human only, not for angels.  We’re told to guide a human, so we do.  Even if the human gets hurt.”

            Blake stared hard at the floor, but Adam felt Pharrell and Jenny’s eyes boring into him.  “So what about the people who get guardian angels?” Adam asked quickly.

            “They can have a big lingering effect on many people,” Blake explained, once again wielding his bat.  He tapped the softball into the football, and let the football roll until it knocked Leesha’s framed picture.  Adam quickly grabbed it before it hit the floor and replaced it on the table.

            “So someone who could have a big effect on a whole bunch of other people lives in Brooklyn?” Adam asked.

            “Someone who could have a big effect on a whole bunch of other people is sitting at this table!” Pharrell exclaimed.  He pointed at Blake.  “Adam, that’s your guardian angel right there!  And he just told us that guardian angels are assigned to people who could have a big, lingering effect on many people.  So obviously, you’re meant for some pretty major shit, buddy!”

            “That doesn’t make any sense!” Adam protested.  “I’m nothing and no one.  How the hell am I supposed to do something that has a big lingering effect on a lot of other people?  Who the hell would listen to me?  Seriously, what the fuck am I meant to do?  I’m not exactly cut out to be a leader!”

            “That’s free will right there,” Jenny declared.  “You get to decide if you do something or not.  So a guardian angel could possibly be wasted if the person decides he’s ‘not cut out to be a leader’ and never does what he’s supposed to do, right Blake?”

            Blake nodded.  He set the bat aside and climbed into his chair at the table with a sigh.

            “I’m willing to wager you’re not allowed to tell me what it is I’m supposed to do, huh?” Adam grumbled.  “So how the hell will I even know when the time comes?”

            “I’m betting you’ll know,” Jenny assured, reaching over to squeeze his hand.

            “What about demons?” Pharrell asked.  “What part do demons play in this equation?”

            Blake stood up, grabbed the edge of the table, and casually dumped everything off.  Once again, Adam rescued Leesha’s picture before it hit the floor, but the softball and football rolled onto the floor, struck the far wall, and stopped.

            No one said anything for a time.

            “You give a hell of an object lesson, Blake,” Pharrell said finally.

            “Leesha, why don’t you put your picture back in the living room and head upstairs?” Jenny said, setting the little girl down.  “I’ll get you and your brothers ready for bed.  Adam, why don’t you ask him about that spell you were looking up while we’re gone?”

            Adam nodded.  He waited until she’d gone, and then turned to Blake, who was once again resting his head on his folded hands on the table.  “Blake, these stars that Leesha can see on your arms,” he began.  “What causes that?”

            “Handcuffs,” Blake mumbled, looking at the table.

            “Is it a spell?” Adam pressed.  “A binding spell?”

            The blue eyes shot open, staring at Adam.  “Yes!  A binding spell, yes!”

            “That’s what locks you in a human body?”

            “Yes.”

            “Who put it on you?  The Homeland Security goons?”

            Blake sagged in relief.  “Yes,” he confirmed.  “They beat me, trapped me in a human body, and put a binding spell on me.  Now I can’t fight, and if I use my powers, the demons come after me!”

            “Why?” Adam pressed.  “Why did they bind you?”

            The angel sighed.  “I don’t know.  They put the spell on me, tried to take control of me.  But I ran away and flattened your car.  They tried to find me, but I… hiding?”

            “You hid.”

            He smiled again.  “I hid.”

            “And they’ve been looking for you ever since.”

            Blake sighed again.  “Yes.”

            “What about Adam?” Pharrell pressed.  “Do they know about him, that you’re here for him?”

            “Of course they know about me, moron!” Adam grumbled.  “They had the cops come for me and then they had Shakira call me to bring in Blake and…”  He paused.  “Why did they try so hard to get me to give you to them?  And why the hell were you letting me do something so spectacularly stupid as take you to that hospital and almost hand you over?”

            “Free will,” Blake sighed.

            Adam grimaced.  “Oh.”  He startled.  “Wait, was this part of the divine plan?  You getting bound into human form and me actually meeting you?”

            “I don’t know!” Blake exclaimed, suddenly frustrated.  “In this body, I don’t know, alright?”

            “Whoa, settle down, big guy,” Pharrell advised.  “Sorry to be pushing you, Blake.  I cannot imagine what this is like for you, being trapped in a human body when you know you’re supposed to be guarding Adam.  You must be scared to death!”

            Blake looked miserable.  “I can’t fight like this.”

            “Then we’ll help you,” Adam declared.  “This binding spell.  Everything I read at the library said that a binding spell has to have a focus, something that what’s being bound is actually bound to.  And there’s only three ways to break a spell like that.  First, whatever is being bound is killed.  That’s out of the question, nothing’s killing Blake.  Second, the spellcaster releases the bound being.  But that would require us going up to the Homeland Security goons and convincing them to let Blake go, and somehow I don’t see that happening.  Which leaves us with option three, which is to destroy the focus.  That seems to be our best option!”  He turned to Blake.  “Blake, do you know what you’re actually bound to?”

            Blake nodded.

            “Great!  Then we just need to find it and destroy it.  You’ll help us do that, right, buddy?”

            “No.”  Blake’s eyes were back on the table.

            Pharrell and Adam stared at him in surprise.  “No?  What do you mean no?”

            “No.  I won’t help destroy it.”

            “Blake, what’s wrong, buddy?” Pharrell asked gently.  “Don’t you want a chance to destroy this focus and be free?”

            “Had a chance,” Blake mumbled, surprising the two men.  “Didn’t take it.  Not worth it!”

            “Blake, help us understand,” Adam urged.  “You had a chance to destroy the focus of your binding spell and free yourself, but you didn’t take it?  What do you mean it wasn’t worth it?”

            Blake didn’t respond.  Looking upset, he suddenly got up and stormed out.

            Adam and Pharrell remained as they were, looking after Blake.  “Um, I don’t think he’s coming back this time,” Pharrell said at last as the silence dragged on.  “And if he thinks it’s not worth it to try to destroy whatever it is he’s bound to, chances are that he’s not going to tell us what it is.”

            “Then what the fuck are we supposed to do, Pharrell?” Adam exclaimed.  “If I’m really meant to do something big, if I’m really supposed to play a big role in the divine plan, then sooner or later some demon is going to come after me directly, to upset the table like Blake showed us.  That’s why I’ve got Blake in the first place!  And if he’s still bound when that happens, he’ll get killed trying to defend me.  I refuse to let that happen!  But if he won’t tell me what he’s bound to or help us destroy it, what’s left?  Negotiate with the Homeland Security goons?”

            “I never thought I’d say this, but yes,” Pharrell sighed.  “We need to find out what they want with Blake, see if we can’t convince them to let him go.  Maybe it’s not that bad?”

            “They beat down and bound an angel!  I’m betting it’s that bad!”

            “I’m sorry, Adam, but I do not see another option!” Pharrell snapped, suddenly cross.  “As your guardian angel, Blake’s primary concern is keeping you safe.  And if he’s saying it’s not worth it to go after that spell focus, he probably means it’s not worth risking you!  We need to either try to negotiate with those two assholes, or try to make Blake fess up.  What do you want to do?  Waterboard your own guardian angel?”

            “I don’t fucking know!” Adam snapped back.  “You know what else I don’t know?  When, exactly, I’m supposed to play my all-important role in this divine fucking plan!  And Blake seemed to be telling us that, while he’s trapped in human form, he doesn’t know, either!  I’m betting that the reason Blake is here is because when it comes near time for me to do whatever the fuck it is I’m supposed to do, a demon is going to show up to try to stop me.  So that means a demon could come for me tonight, tomorrow, any time, and that’s it for Blake!  Now what is it you would like me to do, Pharrell?”

            “Stay the course.  Keep doing what you’ve always done, plug away, and do what your heart tells you to do when the time comes.  Blake will do his job, Adam.”

            “I can’t let Blake get killed trying to save me!”

            “You don’t get to decide that, buddy.”

            “Why the fuck does he?”

            “Free will,” Pharrell declared.  “Blake’s exercising free will here, Adam.  That’s something he just told us he’s not supposed to be able to do.  But guess what?  While he’s in human form, he’s able to make his own decisions.  And he’s decided not to tell us what the focus of his binding spell is.  I believe he’s doing his job, not letting you risk yourself because whatever it is you’re supposed to do, it’s more important than breaking the spell and freeing him.”

            “That’s horseshit, Pharrell!”

            “But that’s his choice,” Pharrell stressed.  “We gotta respect that.  I don’t want to see him get torn to shreds trying to protect you any more than you do, Adam!  But we have to respect his choices.  If you try to take his choice away from him, then you’re no better than those assholes who beat him down and bound him!”

            Adam wilted.  “You’re right.  I’m sorry.  I just…  You know how I feel about him, Pharrell.  I’ve never felt for anyone in my life what I feel for Blake!  The thought of anything happening to him…”

            Pharrell took Adam’s shoulder and squeezed.  “I get it.  And I get the urgency.  It’s not just demons we gotta worry about.  I don’t believe for one minute that those two assholes have given up.  It must have taken them one hell of an effort to knock Blake down and bind him.  They’re not going to just give up and let him go.  I’m waiting for their next move.”

            Adam’s phone rang.  Frowning in surprise, he looked at it, recognizing his uncle’s number, and answered.  “Hey, Uncle Eli, I haven’t heard from you in a while!”

            “And I wish I was calling with better news,” Eli replied.  “Adam, it’s your parents.  They’ve been shot.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mr. Fun got all embarrassed because I managed to put his birthday into this story. Happy early birthday, baby!  
> Said he really liked Blake's little demonstration. Also said that whatever Blake is bound to, it's certainly not Adam's car. "That is right out!"


	21. We're Walking In The Air

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blake takes matters into his own hands

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, I know nothing at all about the actual extended families of our heroes, nor do I want to. The depiction here is fictional. And once again, this fictional story is not holding to any particular religious belief.
> 
> Song (non-diegetic) for this chapter is, obviously, "We're Walking In The Air," and I have chosen the Nightwish version which can be found here:  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvjSKULIc7Y
> 
> Anit, I owe you a **GOLD STAR** for calling that the demon tracked Blake because he'd used his powers to save Adam from the bus! Missed it when I misplaced my notes. Well done!

            _“The doctors say it’s bad.  They might not make it through the night.  You gotta come home, Adam!”_

            The words ran on endless repeat through Adam’s head as he worked frantically at Jenny’s computer, trying to find a flight from New York to Los Angeles.  Once more, the money he’d been given by CeeLo was coming in handy.  But somehow, every flight was booked.  “This is insane!” Adam snarled.  “What the hell is going on that everyone and his brother-in-law is going to L.A. tonight?  The earliest I can get there is late tomorrow evening, and by then…”  He shook his head, unable to give voice to the unthinkable.  “ _Fuck_ my luck!”

            “Adam, I know how you must feel, but I still say this whole thing feels crazy, and just a little too much of a coincidence,” Pharrell cautioned.  “I know you think I’m crazy and paranoid, but just hear me out.  If I wanted to draw you away, I can’t think of a better way to do it than to contact my cronies in Cali and go after your immediate family.  They know your name, and could have easily gotten information on your next of kin through about half a dozen search engines or a private detective.  I really think this is a set-up, Adam!”

            “It’s my parents, Pharrell!” Adam protested.  “Even if I am being set up, I can’t just ignore this.  If they’re shot and might not make it through the night, then I need to go to them!”

            “I know it’s your parents.  The same parents that threw you out, buddy.”

            Pharrell had said that gently, but it still hurt.  Adam squeezed his eyes tightly shut, trying unsuccessfully to will the headache back into its cave.  “That’s precisely why I need to get back,” he explained.  “I can’t let things between us end like this.  If they…?  If anything happens, I need a chance to tell them I forgive them, and I love them. 

            “I get it,” Pharrell said softly.  “No matter what they do to us, our parents are part of us.  I get why you’re willing to risk going out there.”

            “But it doesn’t look like that’s possible.”  Adam’s shoulders dropped in defeat.  “I’ll book this flight, get there tomorrow evening and hope there’s still time.  But if the doctors are right, and they usually are, then my chance is going to be long gone by then.  I’ve been out here for years, and I never called, never wrote, never tried to reach out and make amends.  It was pride, Pharrell.  It was my own stubborn pride.  I couldn’t admit that I’d made a mistake, that they were right and I was wrong!  Now it’s too late.  And I will live with this pain, this huge hole in my heart for the rest of my life!”

            He would not cry in front of Pharrell.  He refused to cry in front of Pharrell.  Adam ignored the hot tears that burned the backs of his eyes and lowered his face into his hands on the desk for a moment, taking deep breaths to regain control of his emotions.

            And then he was sobbing uncontrollably.  Shame mixed with pain as he crossed his arms on the desk and buried his face in them.  Sobs shook his body.  When Pharrell’s hand closed on his shoulder, Adam simultaneously resented and welcomed it.

            “Blake, don’t even think about it, buddy!” Pharrell was calling.  “You can’t risk it!”

            Adam promptly snapped his head up.  Blake had his hand on his shoulder and was looking down at him.  The determination in his blue eyes made Adam gasp.  “Blake, no.  No way!”

            “I can’t let things between you end like this,” Blake said, taking Adam’s arms.  “You need a chance to tell them you forgive them, and you love them.  I can’t let you live with this pain, this huge hole in your heart for the rest of your life!”

            “Blake, if you use your powers, the demons will find you!” Adam exclaimed as Blake pulled him up.  He pushed at Blake as the angel pulled him closer.  “No!  I won’t let you risk yourself for this!  Let go of me, Blake!”

            But the angel was determined, and strong.  “There’s a safe place,” he said, turning Adam so smaller man’s back was against his chest and wrapping his arms around his squirming charge.  “When I bring you back, we’ll go there.  But your parents need you, Adam.  And I can help.”

            “No, Blake, please!”

            But Blake had already lifted Adam off of his feet and was carrying him towards the door.  Pharrel, wide-eyed, ran ahead, shouting for Jenny as he opened the door to let Blake carry a struggling Adam out into the street.  But even as he did, he was shouting warnings.  “Blake, thank you for thinking of my family and not just going angel in my house, but this could be a trap!” he yelled.  “It wouldn’t be hard to check the same sites Adam just looked at, see when the flights were booked solid, and make a move then just to try to force you into this!  If hunter demons could track you when you used your powers, who’s to say that those goons couldn’t do it, too?”

            But Blake never slowed.  Adam quickly realized that Blake was carrying him away from the house, heading for a corner lot so the trail he would inevitably leave wouldn’t lead to the Williams residence.  He was glad that Blake wouldn’t risk Pharrell’s family, but he was sick with fear for Blake.  “Please, Blake!  Not for this!  Stop, please!”

            Blake let him down, and Adam had a brief moment of hope.  But Blake only put him down long enough to bend down slightly, wrap his arms snugly around Adam, and stand back up, once more lifting Adam off of his feet.  Adam clawed desperately at his arms.  “No!  _No!”_

            Too late.  Once again, the unnatural stillness fell as Blake’s wings opened wide.  They arced up, reaching high above their heads, and then came down.

            And suddenly, they were rising.  Below, Adam could see Pharrell searching frantically around, yelling something back at Jenny in the doorway.  But the ground was rapidly falling away as the great wings continued to beat, and soon the city was little more than a collection of lights below.

            “You shouldn’t have done it!” Adam sobbed, clinging to Blake’s arms around him.  “You shouldn’t have done it, Blake!”

            _“I couldn’t stand it, seeing you do that.”_

            Adam startled.  This wasn’t the voice he was used to hearing from Blake.  It was musical, almost like singing, and the words were conveyed in thought rather than sound.  “You risked yourself like this because I was crying?” he asked, ashamed.  “Dammit, Blake!  You can’t do this every time I cry!  You can’t put yourself at risk because I’m too fucking weak to keep it together!”

            _“You were in pain.  I could help.  So I did.”_

            “Why, dammit?  Why would you risk yourself like this to help me?”

            _“Because it’s my job.”_

            Adam clung to Blake’s arms, tears once more flowing down his cheeks.  “You stupid son of a bitch, it wasn’t worth it!  I wasn’t worth it!”

            The arms around him tightened slightly.  _“You are to me.”_

            The musical voice of the angel was filled with so much compassion that the sheer beauty of it was bringing tears to Adam's eyes as much as the situation.  He angrily wiped at his face.  Then he twisted his neck, looking back at Blake.

            Blake’s eyes were filled with a soft glow.  His whole body had a kind of aura around it, looking somewhat strange over flannel and denim, but matching his wings perfectly.  _“It’s alright,”_ Blake soothed.  His mouth never opened, but his lips had curled into a gentle smile.  _“I don’t get to make my own choices often, and this is what I want.  There’s a place I can take us to when we go back, but for now, we just need to move fast.”_

            “What about when we reach L.A.?” Adam asked.  “Is there a sanctuary for us there, too?”

            The smile disappeared.  _“Let me worry about that when we get there.”_

            That didn’t make Adam happy, but there was little that could be done about it now.

            Adam had no idea how fast they were going, but it seemed very fast indeed.  Even so, Adam imagined that if he wanted to, Blake could be somewhere instantly in his true form.  Weakened by the binding spell, this was the best he could do.

            The thought of the binding spell caused Adam to look down at the arms around him.  And there they were, golden manacles locked tightly around each of Blake’s wrists, the chains vanishing through Adam’s body, leading back to whatever it was he was bound to.  Adam tried peering back to see if he could at least get some idea of where the chains led.  But he could see nothing but the massive wings.  He reached for one of the manacles, but was unsurprised when his fingers passed right through it to Blake’s wrist.  Not going to be that easy.  “Does it hurt?” he asked softly.

            _“Sometimes.  If I fight.”_

            Adam closed his eyes and gritted his teeth.  “I’ll free you.  I swear it!  I…”

            _“Adam?  Look.”_

            Adam looked up.  Ahead of them, a bright column of light had appeared, shining down from the sky.  Within the column, a tiny figure flew up, wings beating.  Adam sucked in his breath.  “That’s a soul being carried to Heaven?  An angel does that?”

            _“No one will ever die alone.  There is always an angel or demon.”_

            “So, even if my parents die, one of you will be there with them?”

            _“Yes.”_

            That was comforting.  But even though Adam’s heart was filled with fear for Blake, he couldn’t help but be glad that he’d have a chance to say goodbye.  Adam squeezed Blake’s arms.  “Thank you,” he said softly.  “You’re about the dumbest son of a bitch that ever sprouted wings, Blake, for putting yourself at risk like this.  But thank you all the same.”

            _“Of course.  Look, another.”_

            Sure enough, another winged figure was moving up a column of light.  Adam looked around.  The sky was filled with clouds, even though he recalled it being clear.  These clouds, however, seemed semi-transparent.  He could see the stars shining through them.  As he watched, another hole, this one far away, opened in the blanket of clouds, and another bright speck could be seen moving up it.  Then a flash of red light caught his eye from beneath them.  Something like a cloud of glowing red smoke rose up from far below, flashed once more, and was gone.  “Uh oh,” he said.  “That was someone going to Hell, wasn’t it?”

            _“Yes.”_ Blake’s voice was sad.

            Adam continued to look around, noting the occasional column of light or flash of red as souls went to their final destination.  Rolling hills stretched out beneath them now, cities and towns dotting the dark land with bright lights.  Then they were crossing vast open plains, where the lights of single farmsteads shone like the last bastion of civilization in the darkness.

            Then he noticed something strange.  Peering closely, he could see another figure moving nearby.  The figure was faint, gauzy, as if hidden just behind a veil.  All around him, the air seemed filled with soft musical sounds, just like Blake’s voice in this form.  “There’s other angels up here,” he realized.  “There’s one now.  Hey, there’s another!  Blake!  They’re everywhere up here!”  He paused.  “Are there demons here, too?”

            _“No,”_ Blake replied. _“This is our world.”_   He flew on, moving through the crowded emptiness of the spirit realm, wings taking them between Heaven and Hell.

            Mountains passed below.  Now, spread before them, glistening in the moonlight, was the familiar western ocean.  Here, too, was evidence of the workings of the great beyond, more souls moving to Heaven or Hell while the mortal world continued, unaware.

            Adam grew silent and still.  He couldn’t stay upset, not with what he was seeing now.  He became lost in the sheer beauty of something few, if any, mortal men had ever seen in their lifetime.  Angels hovered and flew all around, on their way to whatever mission they’d been given.  And always, they sang.  The more he listened, the easier it became to hear the angel voices.  The music swelled, so beautiful it made his heart ache.  Listening to it, Adam thought he could understand all the secrets of the universe and yes, it was all so clear now.  Below, the mortal world spread out like a massive tapestry, individual lives like brightly colored threads, beautiful in and of themselves, yet unaware of their importance in the overall pattern.  And the pattern, it was quite simply the most incredible thing he’d ever seen.  Intricate and lovely, woven by the skillful fingers of a master designer, it traveled to infinity.

            _“Adam?  I need you to show me where.”_

            Adam blinked, as if waking from a dream he could only barely remember.  It was beautiful, he remembered that, something about music and a great, massive tapestry.  He must have fallen asleep.  He shook his head and looked down, seeing the familiar lights of L.A. along the winding streets where he’d grown up.  He frowned, looking for landmarks to get his bearings.  “Uncle Eli said they’re at…  There!  The hospital, just to our right.  That’s it.”

            _“Alright.”_   Blake angled down for a landing, bringing them down between the parking lot and the main entrance.  There, he finally closed his wings and gently let Adam down.

            The world returned to normal.  To Adam’s surprise, he felt a terrible feeling of loss, and an odd longing for that strange, beautiful place where angels took wing.  He shook his head, brushing the feeling aside.  Then he took Blake’s hand and quickly jogged to the entrance.

            Blake stayed alert, watching all around them, tensed and visibly bracing for a fight.  But Adam couldn’t think about it right now.  He led Blake to the front desk.  “Aaron and Esther Levine,” he said to the lady behind the glass.  “They were brought here with gunshot wounds?  I’m their son, Adam.”

            Rapid clicking sounds as the woman typed on her keyboard.  “Who gave you that information?” she asked.

            “My father’s brother, my uncle, Eli Levine,” Adam explained.

            “Well sir, you may want to call him because we have no record of an Aaron or Esther Levine being brought in with gunshot wounds.”

            Adam froze.  “Can you check other hospitals?”

            “Just a moment.”  Again, the rapid clicking sounds.  And then the woman was shaking her head.  “I’m sorry, sir, but there’s no record of anyone by those names in any hospitals in the city.  Perhaps you should call your uncle?”

            “Yeah,” Adam replied through numb lips.  “Yeah, I’ll do that.”  He stepped away from the desk, drew his phone and quickly dialed his uncle.

            “Hello?” Eli’s voice answered.

            “Uncle Eli, it’s Adam.  What happened to my parents?”

            “Adam?  Your parents?  What are you talking about?”

            Adam’s head was pounding in time with his rapidly beating heart.  “Eli, you called me earlier and told me they’d been shot!”

            “What?  Shot?  Are they alright?  What hospital are they in?”

            “No, Eli, that’s what you told me, when you called me earlier tonight!”

            “Boy, what have you gotten yourself into?  I never called you, and I certainly didn’t tell you your parents had been shot!  What is going on?”

            “I’m not sure.  But someone called me earlier tonight from your number, sounding just like you, and that’s what he told me!  So Blake and I came right out to L.A. to…”

            “Wait, you’re here in L.A.?  Where at?”

            Adam told him where he was.  “I’m going to call mom and dad, make sure they’re alright.”

            “You do that.  Meanwhile, I’m coming to get you and, Blake was it?  Friend of yours?”

            “Yes,” Adam replied, not wanting to bother with a long explanation.  “What do you mean, you’re coming to get us?”

            “Because if you flew clear out here thinking your parents had been shot, then it’s obvious you need to actually see them face to face and resolve this bullshit that’s been hanging over the heads of this family since you took off with that bitch, that’s why!” Eli snapped.  “Aaron won’t want to hear it, but I’ll knock it into his skull if I have to.  We all need to sit down and talk, and I won’t hear any protests!  Sit your ass down, boy, and wait right there.  I’ll be there in ten minutes!”

            Suddenly, the phone went dead.  Adam stared at it for a moment.  Then he quickly grabbed Blake and pulled the anxious angel into a quiet corner of the waiting area.  “It was all a trick!” he hissed.  “Uncle Eli never called me!  You risked everything for nothing!”

            “For you,” Blake insisted.  His eyes were worried, but he was smiling as he looked down at Adam.  “Call your parents.”

            Adam squirmed.  “I don’t know if they’ll even answer, buddy.  After what my dad said…?”

            Blake only looked at him.

            Adam wilted.  “Calling now,” he mumbled, dialing.

            As the phone rang and rang, Adam almost believed that his parents wouldn’t answer.  But then there was a click and his father’s voice.  “What do you want, Adam?”

            Adam sagged in relief, clinging to Blake for support.  “Dad!  You’re alright?  You and mom are ok?”

            “Not that you’d care.  What the hell do you want, calling us now?”

            “I got a phone call from someone claiming to be Uncle Eli, from Eli’s phone,” Adam explained.  “They told me…”

            “Are you really going to tell me some crazy lie now, Adam?”

            “Dad, listen, I…”

            “No, you listen!  You ran out on this family, and I told you that you were no longer welcomed.  That still stands.  Whatever mess you’ve gotten yourself into, don’t expect your mother and I to bail you out.  Enjoy the bed you made for yourself, Adam!”  And with that, the phone went dead.

            Adam was shocked at how badly the rejection hurt.  “That bastard,” he breathed, still clinging to Blake.  “You risked everything to get me out here so I could say goodbye because I thought he was dying, and…”

            “You need to tell him you forgive him,” Blake declared.

            “What the fuck would I do that for?” Adam exclaimed, stung.

            “Because next time, it might be real,” Blake told him.  “And if you never called, never wrote, never tried to reach out and make amends? You will live with this pain, this huge hole in your heart, for the rest of your life.”  And then once again, he cupped Adam’s face in his hands, using his thumbs to wipe away the tracks of Adam’s tears.

            Adam hadn’t realized he’d started crying again.  He clung to Blake’s arms, squeezing his eyes shut as his head throbbed.  “You’re right,” he said quietly.  “I don’t know if they’ll listen to me, Big Country.  But I’ll try.”

            Blake gently kissed Adam’s forehead.  “Trying is all you can do.  The rest is up to him.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mr. Fun said the description of the flight in this chapter was very beautiful, but he's worried that Blake is going to get into some real trouble now. Said some naughty words about Usher and Carson when he realized it was a set-up. Thinks Adam's dad is a bastard.


	22. Sanctuary

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The demons finally come for Blake. Adam is desperate to find a safe sanctuary, and Uncle Eli may have the answer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The non-diegetic song I used when writing this chapter is one of the few in my collection that I don't know what it is actually called. Many of my songs were given to me by my dolt of an "adopted brother" and most of them were not correctly labeled. This one was labeled "Maybe A Day." It is a fantastic orchestral choral piece, and I have searched in vain to try to find out what it is actually called and who the composer is! If anyone knows, please please drop me a line! Meanwhile, I popped it up on my Tumblir here:  
> https://funtimewriter.tumblr.com/post/160954491607/i-have-no-idea-what-this-song-is-but-damn-its

            Right on time, Eli waltzed into the waiting area, went directly up to Adam, and immediately slapped him sharply across the face.  “That’s for being a stupid young kid and making a decision that tore a hole in our family!” he announced.  Then he pulled Adam into a tight embrace.  “And that’s because you’re my idiot nephew and I love you,” he muttered into Adam’s hair, kissing the side of his head.

            Everyone in the waiting area was staring at them.  Blake’s eyes were huge as he blinked at the strange man hugging his charge.  But both Eli and Adam were used to this reaction, even when he wasn’t physically assaulting Adam.  Uncle Eli was what his father liked to call a “Rebel Without A Clue.”  What hair was left on the man’s balding head was colored in a rainbow array of pastels.  He sported a thick, snow white beard that would not look out of place on Santa Claus.  Most of his skin was covered in tattoos, and most of them he’d done himself.  It had been Uncle Eli who had given Adam his first tattoo, and most of those that followed.  Eli was dressed in form-fitting black leather, ignoring, or perhaps not caring about, the fact that he was quite overweight and his stomach usually protruded from beneath the ancient t-shirt he wore.  His ears, nose, cheek, eyebrow, and at least one nipple all bore piercings.  Adam preferred not to think about what else the man might have pierced.  At five foot six, he was far shorter than Adam.  But Eli’s personality was larger than life.

            Eli’s green eyes had moved to Blake.  “And just who is this?”

            “Uncle Eli, this is Blake Shelton.  Blake, meet my uncle, Eli Levine.”

            Blake shook hands with Eli.  “Pleased to meet you, Uncle Eli Levine.”

            Eli’s pierced eyebrow shot up.  “Southern boy, eh, Blake?  Aren’t you a tall drink of water?  Adam, this your boyfriend?”

            “No, Uncle Eli, but Blake’s pretty special to me all the same,” Adam replied.  “He’s the one who flew me out here.”

            “Oh?  Your arms tired, Blake?” Eli joked.

            “No,” Blake replied.  “Adam isn’t very big.”

            Eli blinked, and then let loose with one of his famous belly laughs.  He pulled a startled Blake into a bear hug, thumping the taller man on the back.  “This guy, he’s a joker!  I like him, Adam!” he declared, releasing Blake.  “Now let’s get you both to your parents and work to make things right.  This bullshit has gone on long enough.  Let’s go, boys!”

            “Um, Uncle Eli, you brought a car, right?” Adam called anxiously as he and Blake started out into the parking garage after Eli.

            “Why should I have a car?  I sold that a year ago!”

            Adam paled.  “You brought the motorcycle?  Uncle Eli, how are all three…?”

            “Relax, I’ve got a sidecar.  You get into it, Blake with his long legs rides behind me.  It’s good!”

            By now, the three had moved into the parking garage.  Beside him, Adam heard Blake hitch in his breath.  Adam looked where Blake was staring, but couldn’t see anything.  He could sense it, though.  That same coldness he’d sensed in his apartment last night.  “Uncle Eli, where did you park?” Adam called.

            “Right here.  Impatient now, are we?”  Eli paused, looking between Adam and Blake.  “What’s going on?  You boys in some trouble?”

            “Yeah, we kind of are,” Adam replied.  “We need to leave.  Now!”

            Eli was many things, but stupid wasn’t one of them.  He stiffened, nodded, and quickly climbed on the bike, starting it up.

            Adam jumped into the sidecar.  “Blake, come on!”

            But Blake wasn’t listening.  The big man had crouched down, looking determined.  And then the air seemed to shimmer, something cold and dark charging forward to pounce on Blake. 

            The angel grunted and heaved, his boots sliding backwards on the pavement even as he grappled with something unseen.  He twisted and acted as if throwing something over his shoulder.  The parked car next to him suddenly dipped down, hood denting, and the windshield cracked.  The alarm immediately began to blare.

            _“Blake!”_ Adam screamed.  “Get over here!”

            Blake leaped onto the bike behind Eli, and Adam sighed in relief.  “Go, Eli!” he yelled, waving his uncle forward.  “Go, go, go!”

            Eli gunned it, stopped only for a terrifying moment to pay the parking toll and open the gate before peeling out of the hospital parking garage in a trail of dust and gravel.  Adam bounced in the sidecar, holding on for dear life.  Blake held on with one hand, his body twisted around and his free hand balled into a fist, watching behind them.  He drew back and swung with all his might.

            An eighteen wheeler in the other lane swerved as it impacted with nothing, one headlight shattered and wheels bouncing over an invisible object in the road.  Adam whooped.  “Nice!  That took care of it, right?”

            “That one, for now, yes,” Blake called.

            “Don’t tell me there’s more!”

            “Alright, I won’t.”

            Adam groaned.  “How many?”  When Blake looked confused, he added, “You can tell me!”

           “Many!  At least seven!”

            “Oh shit, that’s, what, twenty?  King plus seven?”

            “At least.  More will come.”

            “We are in trouble!”

            “What the fuck is going on?” Eli yelled.  “What the hell did you two idiots get yourselves into?  And what was…”

            Blake’s long arms suddenly reached forward, grabbing Eli’s hands on the handlebars and turning the bike sharply right, directly into oncoming traffic, just as something invisible flashed past where they’d just been.  Horns blared and Eli and Adam screamed, but Blake quickly returned them to the correct lane.  “Go go go!” he yelled, once again turning partially around, ready to fight.

            Eli gunned the engine.  “What is it?  Demons?  It’s demons, isn’t it?  Adam, I swear by all our ancestors, if you’ve gotten into some damned New York occult shit…!”

            “Blake’s an angel!” Adam blurted out.  “He got bound into human form by some assholes pretending to be Homeland Security but he’s actually my guardian angel.  They cast a binding spell on him and that weakened him, so now every time he uses his powers, demons come after him.  And he literally flew me out here, Uncle!  So now every demon in Los Angeles is aware that there is an actual angel in the City of Angels and they’re all coming running for a piece of him and that is what Blake is trying to fight off here!  Now can we please go just a bit faster?”

            Eli did go faster, even as he appeared to be digesting all this.  “If he draws demons to him every time he uses his powers, was that really wise to take him into the hospital?”

            “We landed outside of it.  They can trace him for a while now, but the hospital should be safe.”  He paused.  “It will be safe, right, Blake?”

            “Right!”

            “Alright,” Eli said.  “Then why did he risk drawing them at all to bring you out here?”

            “Because he’s a very good guardian angel and he couldn’t bear to see me cry, alright?”

            “I’m not!” Blake yelled over the noise of the engine, his eyes to their rear.

            “Yes you are!”

            “Honestly, Adam, are you certain this isn’t some kind of con?” Eli ventured.

            Behind him, Blake braced against the sidecar, reached up, grabbed something that made the bike jerk and nearly tore him from the back of it, and sent it smashing through a billboard.

            “Ok, I believe you!” Eli called, his voice shaking.  “I can’t see this shit here and not believe you!  Merciful God, protect us!  Tell me what to do, boys!”

            “We gotta find somewhere safe,” Adam instructed.  “Somewhere protected against demons!”

            “Is that all?  You’re an idiot, Adam!” Eli spat.  “Call your father and tell him to open the garage.”  When Adam only blinked in confusion, Eli snarled at him.  “Adam, your guardian angel, out in the open on the back of a motorcycle, is fighting off God alone knows how many demons with his bare hands!  You want to wait until they drag him off of this bike?  It is time to shit or get off the pot!  Now make the call!  Use my phone, in my pocket there.”

            Adam quickly retrieved the phone, ducking down as Blake swung at another unseen assailant.

            His father answered right away.  “Eli, if it’s about Adam, I’m not talking about it!”

            “Dad, Eli says you need to open the garage.”

            There was a pause, and when his father spoke again, his voice was full of anger.  “Adam, how dare you call me again?  I told you…”

            _“Open the fucking garage, you stupid son of a bitch!”_ Eli bellowed, leaning over dangerously to yell at the phone.  “I’m coming in and I’m coming in hot, and I swear if that door is closed I will go right through it!  Hang up the phone, Adam!”

            Adam hung up.  “What’s so special about the garage?”

            “You really have fallen far, you little shit!  We’ll talk about that fact later, but right now I’m too pissed off at you to talk!  So sit there and shut the hell up!”

            Adam shut up.  He kept low in the sidecar, rapidly praying as Blake continued to fight back whatever was chasing them.  Eli was moving at breakneck speeds, weaving through traffic, ignoring the horns, shouts, and gestures of his fellow travelers in favor of a zigzag pattern.  Eli was an army veteran.  He knew how to best dodge pursuers in a vehicular chase.  Right now, Adam was beyond grateful for that.

            And then Adam saw his father’s garage up ahead, mercifully open.

            Eli did a sharp turn into the drive with a squeal of rubber, nearly throwing both of his passengers and lifting the wheels of the sidecar completely off of the street, and roared into the garage.  He failed to stop before reaching the back of the garage.  Tires screamed in protest as they slammed through the card table from Aaron Levine’s biweekly poker club, scattered the chairs around it, and kept going.  Adam was thrown forward, almost going head first out of the sidecar and into the pile of boxes of assorted household items that Eli had just plowed into.  The sounds of shattered glass, crunching plastic and bending metal mixed with the sound of the imaginative cursing of Aaron Levine as he stood in the doorway leading into the house, clutching his head with both hands.

            Adam scrambled out of the sidecar and ran to Blake.  The angel had jumped off of the bike and was looking out the opened garage door into the night.  For the first time, Adam noticed the jagged tears in Blake’s shirt over his left arm, the blood that was staining it.  “You’re hurt!  What do we do?”

            “Relax, kid, you’re safe here.”  Eli got up, ignoring his younger brother who was still swearing as he stared at the destruction in his garage, and moved to Adam.  He quickly administered a sharp slap to the back of Adam’s head.  “You little punk, you never did have a bar mitzvah, did you?  You’re safe here, and so’s your angel!”

            Adam looked sharply at Blake.  The angel was wincing as he poked at the wounds on his arm, but otherwise seemed much calmer.  Sensing Adam’s eyes on him, Blake smiled and nodded.  “Sanctuary.”

            “In a garage filled with crap?” Adam exclaimed, confused.

            “Crap that you just fucking ruined!” his father yelled.

            Eli rolled his eyes.  “Shut the fuck up, Aaron!  Nothing in all of that shit was worth us getting killed over, and your crappy garage just saved our lives!”

            _“What?”_

            Adam was as puzzled as his father.  He frowned in confusion, and received yet another slap to the back of his head.  “This is your father’s home, you idiot!” Eli exclaimed.  “Your father, for all his many, many faults, is none the less a devout man.  What does a devout Jewish man do with his home?”

            And Adam finally understood.  Breathing a sigh of relief, he ran forward and reverently kissed the Mezuzah that was attached to the post of the garage door.  ” Baruch Ata A-do-nai Elo-heinu Melech Haolam asher kideshanu bemitzvotav vetzivanu likboa Mezuzah,” he whispered, the words flowing from his tongue despite years without practice.  “Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us to affix a Mezuzah.”

            “Well, at least you paid a little attention!  At least enough to finally recognize when you’re standing on sanctified, protected ground!”  Uncle Eli strolled up next to him.  He extended his arms, fists clenched, and shot up his middle fingers, giving both barrels to the unseen intruders outside.  “Eat a dick, demons!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For any not familiar with Jewish teachings, placing a Mezuzah, which is written on a rolled parchment scroll and sealed in a case, on every door of a house sanctifies that house and protects those who dwell within because it serves as a visible symbol that the home and those within belong to God. It is a beautiful symbol of faith, and powerful ward against evil. If I made an error in the prayer here, please let me know!
> 
> Mr. Fun very much enjoyed seeing Blake "finally kick some demon ass!" and loved the song. Loved Eli, too!


	23. Forgiveness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adam has a long overdue talk with his parents

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song I used here, main theme for Blake, is "I Will Be Here For You" by Michael W. Smith  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bruLafuiu80

            Aaron and Esther Levine had the same dark hair as their son, although theirs was streaked with grey.  Esther had passed her sculpted cheekbones and slender form to her son, while Aaron was tall, but stocky.  He’d given Adam his jawline and his hazel eyes, while Esther’s eyes were a pale blue.  Both were very religious, but they were still skeptical of the story being told to them by Eli of the largely-unseen battle their relatives claimed to have witnessed between Blake and an unknown number of demons.  Again and again, their eyes went to Blake during the story, taking in the way he was dressed, his odd way of speaking, and his gentle smile as Eli, a former combat medic, tended to his wounds.

            Blake’s torn, bloody shirt was crumpled in a pile on his lap.  Normally, Adam would have admired the view, but now, too wound up to sit still, he paced restlessly around the living room.  Over and over, his parents questioned everything that had happened, suggesting politely that Blake might just be a clever con man that Adam and Eli were gullible enough to fall for.  They even went so far as to suggest that perhaps Blake’s wounds were somehow self-inflicted, making Adam clench his fists and breathe hard through his nose to try to contain his growing anger.

            “You know what, Aaron?” Eli said finally.  “I could not care less if you believe us.  It doesn’t matter to me if you believe Blake here’s an angel or some sort of shyster.  The only thing I care about, and the only real reason we were coming out here in the first place, is that it is past time to put this fight between you and your son to rest.”

            “Put it to rest?” Aaron asked incredulously.  His hazel eyes burned with anger as he looked at his son.  “My son, my own flesh and blood, threw over his entire family and gave up the future his mother and I scrimped and saved to provide for him for a hussy that we all knew was already cheating on him, and my brother thinks I should just laugh it off!”

            “Wait, what?” Adam exclaimed, finally pausing in his pacing.  “What do you mean you all knew she was cheating on me?”

            “Oh, Adam, we tried to tell you!” his mother exclaimed.  “I told you that Behati would use and abuse you and leave you alone with a broken heart!  And that’s precisely what she did, isn’t it?  I don’t see any wedding ring on your finger, Adam.  She threw you over as soon as she didn’t need you anymore, didn’t she?”

            “Yes, you told me that, and I’ll admit I was too proud and in love and stupid to listen.  But you never told me that you knew she was cheating on me!”

            “Would you have listened, Adam?  You thought you knew everything, and you wouldn’t listen to a word we said!  If we’d told you she was cheating, would you have even believed it?”

            Everything in Adam wanted to protest, to argue.  But then he looked at Blake.

            Despite the pain he must have felt and probably continued to feel, Blake had never protested while Eli cleaned the deep, curving gashes in his arm and closed them with skin tapes from a first aid kit.  Now Eli was taping a dry dressing over the wound.  Blake smiled gratefully at him.  Then those amazing, expressive blue eyes turned to Adam, and his smile softened.

            Blake had risked everything to give Adam this one chance to make things right.  He couldn’t let it go to waste.

            Adam took a deep breath, turned and stood before his parents, his hands behind his back as he looked them in the eyes.  “I’m sorry,” he said.  “I screwed up.  I was stupid, and I never should have turned my back on you.  Mom, you’re right.  I didn’t want to listen, and nothing you could say could have changed my mind.  And Dad?  I was so angry about the way you took your belt to me and what you said to me that my pride wouldn’t let me contact you, not even when Behati used me up and left me behind, just like the two of you warned me she’d do.  But I forgive you for that.  We were all angry.  We were all upset.  And not one bit of it mattered tonight when I got that phone call, when I believed you’d both been shot and wouldn’t make it through the night.  Because when I thought I was going to lose you, I realized just how stupid I’d been.  We’re family, and life is short, too short to let it go by without realizing what matters the most.  Without doing whatever I can do to make it right.  So, I’m sorry.  I hope you can find it in your hearts to forgive me, but even if you can’t, I wanted you to know.”  He shrugged, the silence from his parents making him fidget anxiously.  “That’s all.”

            Silence.  His parents stared at him with wide hazel and blue eyes, their shocked expressions identical.  As one, they turned and looked at each other.

            And then his mother burst into tears.

            Immediately, his father’s expression darkened in anger.  He sprang to his feet, drew back a hand to strike, and Adam tensed.  He made no move to defend himself, waiting for the blow.

            It never landed.

            Blake had moved faster than Adam realized he could and had his father by the wrist, keeping the blow from landing.  His father’s hazel eyes were full of fury as he took in the sight of the frowning, shirtless man standing between him and his son.  His free hand curled into a fist.  But before he could swing at Blake, his mother was suddenly there, grabbing onto his father’s arm.  “Aaron!” she yelled.  “Adam is right!  We need to end this!”

            “He walked out on us, Esther!” his father spat, furious eyes turning again to Adam.  “How many nights did you cry yourself to sleep, wondering where he was, if he was even dead or alive?  Years he’s been gone, and not so much as a post card!  You remember the stress, Esther, the strain on you, and what it finally did to you?  You didn’t even know your mother had a heart attack about four months after you left, did you, Adam?”

            When Adam only stared at his mother in shock, his father scoffed.  “Forgive you?  I almost lost my wife because of you!  She was rushed into the hospital and straight into surgery.  The doctors weren’t sure she would pull through.  She could have died!  No speech you can make is going to possibly make up for what you did to your mother!”

            “And how, exactly, was Adam to know his mother had a heart attack?” Eli called.  He’d also risen and was scowling at his younger brother.  “I didn’t tell him because it wasn’t my place.  Did you?  Communication works both ways, Aaron, and you didn’t send so much as a post card either!  Yet you think he should have known that he nearly lost his mother?  Is the boy psychic now, Aaron?”

            “Why not?” Aaron spat back.  He pointed accusingly at Blake.  “He’s got an angel, right?  Why not psychic powers, since we’re already sitting here in my living room, pretending to believe in complete nonsense?  Take your hands off of me!”  This last he directed at Blake.  “And get out!  I already told Adam he’s no longer welcomed in my house.  Add yourself to that list!  I…”

            “Missed opportunities really hurt, don’t they?” Blake said quietly, releasing his arm.  “If you close your eyes only for a moment, the moment’s gone.  Is this how you want to live?  You have free will.  Do you want to live with this pain, this huge hole in your heart for the rest of your life?”

            “I’ll tell you what I want,” the man snarled.  “I want to take my belt to that damned boy, throw him out again, and then get a restraining order!  That way, if he ever shows up again, I can have him arrested!”

            “No, Dad,” Adam called.  “You’re never beating me again.  But if you want me to go and never come back?  I get it.  I’ll honor that.”

            Blake looked Aaron in the eye.  “If you do this again, if you turn around and send him away?  One day it will be too late.  You’ll know what you threw away.”

            “Aaron?” Esther called.  “You know he’s right.”

            “You have free will,” Blake insisted.  “You have a choice.  Don’t make the wrong one!”

            Blake stepped back and moved to stand next to Adam, putting an arm protectively around Adam’s shoulders.  Adam had been standing stiffly with his hands clenched since the revelation of his mother’s heart attack.  His head throbbed so painfully that he could barely see through the spots flashing before his eyes.  He clung to Blake’s arm, grateful for the support as he waited for his father’s decision.

            “Don’t be a fool, Aaron,” Eli called, his voice gentle for once.  “He’s an idiot and he did a shameful, hurtful thing to his family.  He threw away all that you’d worked to provide for him, and I know how badly that hurt you.  But he didn’t do it to hurt you and Esther.  He did it because he was a stupid kid madly in love with a beautiful, heartless, manipulative woman.  Stupid kids make stupid decisions, especially in a situation like that!  God knows we made enough of them when we were his age!  So take your belt to him again if it makes you feel better.  We’ll have Esther keep Blake here, and I’ll hold him down…”

            “Hey!” Adam protested.

            Eli ignored him.  “But when you’re done?  Once you’ve beaten him black and blue, then it’s time to swallow your pride and forgive him!”

            “Please, Aaron!” his mother begged.  “Please, don’t send our son away again!”

            Aaron flinched as if slapped.  “Esther, he gave you a heart attack!”

            “No, Aaron, we gave me a heart attack.  We did it when we threw him out.  I worried and prayed, but I never once picked up the phone.  Adam is right.  We all did and said too much out of stubborn, stupid pride.  And what has it gotten us?  I got bypass surgery, and you’re so full of anger that it’s eating you alive.  Let it go, Aaron.  He’s our son.  And he’s come home!  Our Adam is finally home!”

            For the first time, Aaron really looked at Adam.  Adam dared to meet his eyes, looking into eyes identical to his own.  Aaron’s jaw twitched.  “I was never so proud and happy as I was the day you were born and they put you into my arms, Adam,” he said.  “All your life, you made me angry, you made me terrified, you made me sad, and yes, you made me proud.  You had so many problems in school, always in a fight, coming home drenched to the skin and in trouble and I tried so hard to straighten you out!  I didn’t want you to turn out like your uncle…”

            “I love you too, Aaron!” Eli called.

            “You were always a rebel and a fool, Eli, too stupid to do well in school so you turned into a punk and ran off to join the army.  I wasn’t much better, I’ll admit it.  But Adam?  Adam got his mother’s brains, and look at what he did!  Valedictorian, dean’s list, top of his class all the way.  Until he met that _woman!”_   Aaron spat the word like a curse.  “I saw him make the worst mistake of his life, and there was nothing, nothing I could do.  Adam?”  His voice suddenly grew soft.  “It killed me, seeing you throw away everything for that bitch, knowing what she’d do to my son, my gentle, sweet, clever boy!  I wanted so much to just take you in my arms and hold you and just keep telling you how much I loved you until you finally listened to me and stayed.  But I’m not that kind of man.  The only emotion I really ever knew how to show you was my anger, Adam.  My love came at the end of a belt.”  His shoulders slumped.  “I’m sorry, boy.  I always loved you, and I always will.  I just never knew how to tell you.”

            “You just did,” Adam managed.  His voice was so think with emotion that he could barely speak or breathe.  “Thank you.  You have no idea how long I’ve waited to hear that!”

            “Your father’s just too old and stubborn, Adam,” Aaron sighed.  “You went to New York, and it seems you’ve done alright for yourself after all.  Are you happy, boy?”

            “It was hard for a long time,” Adam confessed.  “But it’s better now.”  He looked at his father.  “Dad, can I…?”

            As a rule, Aaron Levine was not a demonstrative man.  Even now, he hesitated, knowing what his son needed but finding it difficult to allow himself to give it.  But finally, his arms opened wide.

            Adam all but ran to his father, embracing him tightly.  His father’s arms went around him, fingers clenching in his hair as his other arm held him close.  “I love you, Dad!”

            “I love you too, boy.  I always did, and I always will.”

            “Now, was that so hard?” Esther scolded, dabbing at her eyes.  “Let the boy go, Aaron, it’s my turn!”

            Instead of letting go, Adam and Aaron simply extended their arms to her.  And then all three were embracing.

            Eli moved up and patted Blake on the back with one hand, using the other to blow his nose into a handkerchief.  “Well, big guy, I would have said that was impossible before I met you tonight,” he declared.  “You really are one hell of a guardian angel!”

            Blake’s smile turned into a troubled frown.  “I’m not.”

            “Blake, I don’t give a shit what you say.  What I just saw tonight was nothing short of a miracle, and I don’t believe for one minute it would have happened without you and what you said here.  No matter what happens after this, you did real good for your boy tonight, buddy.”

            Blake’s face once more broke into a sunny smile.  “Thank you.”

            “No.  Thank _you,_ Blake.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mr. Fun liked how Blake stepped in to help resolve this. Loves Uncle Eli!


	24. Angels Fall First

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Blake starts acting strangely in the night, Adam gets a reminder of just who, and what, he really is and makes some fateful decisions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song (non-diegetic) for this chapter is "Angels Fall First" by Nightwish  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5iwIkjyGRo

            Adam hung up the phone with a very relieved Pharrell and turned back to Blake.  “He’s almost as happy about the way things turned out as I am,” he reported.  “And he agrees with the opinion that I think pretty much everyone else has.  Excuse the expression, buddy, but you are one hell of a good guardian angel!”

            “I’m not!” Blake exclaimed.  “I’m really not, Adam.”

            Adam sighed.  “You’re worried about going back, aren’t you?  You said there was a sanctuary in New York where you can hide, like this one?”

            “Yes.  It’s…”  He did his Blakeism for “I want to tell you something, but I don’t have the words” and started to gesture, bringing his hands, palms facing each other, up and together into a point above his head.  Then he reached above that point and drew a cross in the air.

            “A cross, a steeple, you’re talking about a church?”

            Blake nodded.  “Church, yes.  Sanctuary.”

            “Hey, yeah, I guess it would be, wouldn’t it?  Good thinking, buddy.  So when we go back to New York, you know right where this church is, right?  And you can bring us down right to it?”

            Blake nodded.  “Yes.  You’d be safe there.”

            “And you say you’re not a good guardian angel!” Adam scoffed.  “Look at you, more worried about me than you, when you’re going to look like a free hot lunch to every demon in that city, and probably those two goons, as well!”

            Blake sighed.  “They want you, too, Rockstar.”

            “I get it.  That’s why I’ll stay with you.”

            Blake didn’t respond.

            Adam’s old bedroom had been converted into a guest room, but it still contained his single twin bed, and boxes of clothing that he’d left behind in the closet.  His parents, aware of Adam’s sexual preferences, had been eyeing Blake, but looked relieved when Adam explained that Blake had no need for sleep.  He supposed it was because this further proof of what Blake really was had eased their concern about what might happen with the two of them alone in the room together.  When he’d first come out to his parents in his early teens, Adam’s sexual preferences had initially caused some tension, but surprisingly, both of his parents had accepted them.  Even so, the idea of their son potentially seducing an angel in their own home was probably a bit much.

            When Adam and Blake entered the room, Adam was amused but unsurprised to see that his mother had set up the large recliner in the room with a pillow and a warm blanket.  “Heh, she couldn’t resist,” he noted.  “Even knowing you don’t sleep, buddy, she can’t resist her mothering instinct to put you in a warm bed.  So she settled for making you a little nest to relax in overnight.”

            Blake smiled.  “It’s alright.  Shower?”

            “Shower,” Adam agreed.  “You go first, and try not to get your dressing wet, alright?  Eli wanted to take one more look at it tomorrow, remember?  Said he’ll be here first thing in the morning?”

            “Right.”

            “Alright, hang on.”  Adam rummaged through the boxes of clothing in his closet, found an old, oversized t-shirt and a pair of boxer shorts, and handed them to Blake.  “You could probably squeeze into them.  You’ll have to make do with that,” he called, digging for some more clothes for himself.  “Nothing else of mine is going to fit you.  You’ll have to wear your same jeans, but I can give you some clean socks.”

            “Thank you.”

            “No problem, buddy.  Now go get washed up.  You worked up a sweat fighting those demons tonight.  I’m grateful, but you got pretty sweaty.  Go wash off the stink.  Just keep your dressing dry!”

            “Alright!”

            Blake managed to keep the dressing dry and intact, and soon it was Adam’s turn for the shower.  He washed up quickly and returned to the room, pausing at the doorway, looking at his angel.

            Blake was standing at the window with his hands on either side of it, leaning slightly forward.  His brow was furled as he looked out the window, watching whatever he could see in the dark.

            Adam moved to his side and looked out, but of course he could see nothing.  Still, it was obvious what Blake was looking at.  “They’re still out there, huh?”

            Blake nodded.

            “How long before they go away?”

            The angel only shrugged.  “When I leave, I will go very, very fast!”

            “Works for me.”  Adam slipped under Blake’s arm, squeezing between him and the window, and hugged him, earning a smile.  Then he climbed into the bed.  “Oof!  Forgot how hard this thing was,” he grumbled.  “Blake forget about the demons for now, alright?  You’re safe here.  Mezuzah on every door including this one, see?”

            “I know.”

            “Good, then climb into your chair and I’ll kill the lights.”

            He waited, letting Blake get into the chair, figure out how to recline it, and cover himself with the blanket.  Then he reached over and switched off the light.

            As he snuggled under the blankets, he thought about how strange and wrong it felt to not have Blake’s comforting warmth beside him.  Blake was a furnace, yet in the few nights they’d been together, Adam had been amazed at how quickly he’d become used to it.  It shocked him a bit, how much he missed it now.

            Adam lay on his back, staring up at his ceiling as he forced his thoughts away from the lack of Blake in his bed.  “Tomorrow, once your angel glitter trail dies down, we should do some shopping,” he said aloud.  “We need furniture, for one thing, and I need to get you a warmer jacket, probably some new shoes.  Your boots are nice, but they’re honestly a little too fancy to be wearing with jeans and flannels.  We should get you some sneakers, or even regular cowboy boots to wear around.  Then we can clean up and polish your good ones, and put them away for special occasions with your suit.”

            Blake didn’t answer.

            Adam sighed.  “Look, I’m not giving up on freeing you, you know, getting you back to heaven again.  But there’s no reason we can’t make plans just in case, right?  I mean, you need a jacket and you could really use some regular boots.  You understand, right?  That I’m not just planning to keep you?”

            No answer.

            Adam glanced over at him and saw that Blake was staring at him.  The light of the full moon was shining directly through the window and onto Adam’s face, making it difficult to read Blake’s expression as he sat in the dark.  But Blake was so still in his chair in the far corner of the room that Adam frowned, concerned.  “Blake?  You alright, buddy?”

            Once again, Blake didn’t answer.  But there was movement, Blake climbing out of his chair.  The angel moved until he stood at the foot of Adam’s bed.  There he stopped, once again growing unnaturally still in the darkness.

            Alarmed now, Adam sat up.  “What’s wrong?”

            “I don’t know.”  His hand moved to his chest.  “It hurts.”

            “What hurts?  Your arm?  You need some Tylenol or something, buddy?”

            “I don’t know.  But it’s not my arm.  It’s here.”  His hand thumped on his chest.

            “Your chest?”  Adam frowned in confusion.  “What’s wrong with your chest?”

            “I don’t know!”  Blake sounded frustrated.  “It’s my chest, it’s the moonlight, it’s you!  Adam, the moonlight, it’s shining on you now, and you’re so…”  He shook his head, barely visible in the darkness at the foot of Adam’s bed.  “Don’t have the word!”

            “Ok, you’re starting to freak me out now.  C’mere, buddy.  Sit down on the bed here so we can try to figure this out.”

            Blake came closer.  When he sat down on the bed and the silvery moonlight finally fell on his face, Adam was stunned to see the glistening tracks of tears on Blake’s cheeks.  “Hey!” he called softly.  “You’re crying?  What’s wrong, Big Country?”

            “Rockstar…?”  Blake reached out a trembling hand towards Adam’s face, gently placing it on his cheek.  “Are you happy here?”

            “Here?  As in, here and now?  Sure!  I mean, you basically just fixed the last major problem in my life!  The only thing I’m worried about now is you.”  He leaned forward, gently wiping Blake’s tears.  “Why are you asking me that?”

            “You should stay here, with your parents, and be happy.  Let me go back alone.”

            It was like a punch to the stomach, and it took Adam’s breath away.  “You want to go back to New York and face down those demons and the goons by yourself?  No fucking way!”

            “Adam, if you come with me, you’re in danger!” Blake insisted, reaching out to take Adam’s hands.  “I have a human body.  I have free will now.  And I’ll use it to protect you.  I won’t let anyone hurt you!”  He let go of Adam’s hands and stood up.  Then his hand gently pressed on Adam’s chest, pushing the confused human back onto the bed.

            Adam realized what Blake was about to do just moments before his hand was over his eyes, Blake’s lips already forming the word “sleep.”  “No!” he exclaimed, rolling out of the bed away from Blake.  “You’re not putting me out and then taking off, Blake!  Don’t even try it!  How could you even think about doing that to me, leaving me behind like this?”

            Blake sighed and stood up, facing Adam across the bed.  “Adam, I’ve done all I can for you.  Now it’s time for me to go.  And this time, you can’t follow.  I’m sorry.  But I go alone from here.”

            Adam held up a hand.  “Nuh uh!  Don’t give me this bullshit, Blake!  I will not stay behind while you risk your life to go back to New York alone!  It’s not happening, end of discussion!  You may have free will now, but guess what?  I always had it!  And you have no right to take it away from me!”  He held up his hand again as Blake took a breath, about to argue.  “No, Blake!  You’re bigger and stronger than I am, and I have no doubt you could overpower me and put me to sleep.  But I promise you, even if you push me down and put me out?  If you leave me, I will be on the next plane to New York as soon as I wake up!  And I will find you, Blake!  I’ll tear apart that whole city, I’ll find some way to search the angel realm, I’ll even go to Hell itself if I have to!  But I’ll find you.  I will _never_ leave you, Blake!”

            “You made me a promise,” Blake reminded.  “You said if one of us leaves the other, it will be you, and it will be because I ask you to go.  I’m asking you to go now, Adam.”

            “And yet, you’re the one that’s trying to leave!”

            Blake hung his head.  “I’m sorry.  But I have done all I can for you.  Now, this is all I can do to protect you.”

            “No, Blake!  You can’t ask me to just sit back and let you go like this!”

            “Adam, you said you’re not just planning to keep me.  Did you lie?”

            Adam’s breath hitched in his chest.  Once more, his eyes burned with tears he refused to shed.  “No,” he said.  “But I can’t let you go.  And I’m breaking that promise, Blake, because I cannot live without you!  I will never leave you, and if you’re assigned to me, then I am flat-out ordering you, right here and now, not to run away and leave me behind!”

            Blake flinched and sucked in his breath, bringing his arms up to his chest.  With his back to the window, Adam couldn’t see his expression.  But he could see the way Blake’s body trembled.

            Despite Adam’s claim on free will, his body acted without his permission.  The next thing he knew, he was scrambling over the bed to Blake, throwing his arms around his neck, and pressing his lips to those of the startled angel.  Everything in Adam was screaming that this was wrong.  But at that moment, he simply didn’t care.  All he wanted was to stay just as he was, kneeling on the bed with his body pressed against Blake’s chest, his arms locked around his neck and his lips finally, finally pressed to that mouth.

            Blake gasped in surprise, and Adam immediately took advantage of his open mouth.  He gasped again when Adam’s tongue intruded.  Blake’s hands came up, and Adam was sure he was about to be pushed away.  But instead, the hands gently touched his sides and slid up until his arms were around Adam, holding him close.  His own tongue tentatively probed, returning Adam’s kisses.  He gave a little sigh into Adam’s mouth, and his body relaxed as he leaned into the kiss.  Then there was a soft glow in the room, and the tentative touch of feathers as Blake’s wings opened and wrapped around him, holding him close like a second set of arms.

            And that, finally, broke through to Adam.  _What the fuck am I doing?  I’m on my old bed in my parents’ house, and I’m Frenching my own guardian angel!_

            It took effort, but Adam managed to force himself to pull away.  “Your wings!” he gasped.  “Blake, your wings!”

            Blake immediately tucked his wings back until they vanished.  But he didn’t let go of Adam.  “Sorry,” he whispered.  “I didn’t mean to do that.  But it’s alright.  Sanctuary!”  Then he slid up a hand to cup the back of Adam’s head, bringing him back for another kiss.

            Adam desperately wanted to let it happen, to keep kissing him, and for a moment he did exactly that.  But once again, he pulled away, this time pushing against Blake’s chest.  “No,” he groaned.  “I’m sorry.  I shouldn’t have done that.”

            “Why?” Blake asked, sounding confused.  “I liked it!  I want more!  Is it my wings?”

            “No.  I mean, I don’t know?”  He sighed.  “Yes.  You’re an angel, Blake!  I can’t be doing this shit with you!”

            “I’m sorry.  I won’t open them again.”  Once more, he was trying to pull Adam close.

            “Nuh uh!” Adam exclaimed, pushing back.  “Let me go.  I will not be responsible for corrupting you like this, Blake!  You don’t understand what you’re doing, and I have no right to confuse you!”

            “I’m not confused!” Blake exclaimed.  “Adam, I love you!”

            Blake was trying again to pull him close, but Adam squirmed free, retreating once more to the other side of the bed.  “No, Blake!  I love you too, buddy, but like I said, there’s different kinds of love.  You don’t understand enough about love and sex.  If I went through with what’s in my head right now, I’d just be taking advantage of you!  And what I feel for you is way too strong to let this happen, alright?”  He took a deep breath, willing his hormones to settle down.

            Blake stood as he was, staring at Adam with his hands clenched at his sides.  “Adam,” he whispered.  “I love you!”

            “I know, Blake, I know.  And I know you don’t mean to hurt me, but you are, alright?”

            “Adam!”

            Adam shook his head.  “Just go back to your chair, ok, buddy?”  He rubbed at his temples, frowning at the beginning of yet another headache.  “Dammit!  I should go take a cold shower, but I’d wake everyone up, and I really do not want to have to explain this.  So here’s what we’ll do.  We’ll go back to our respective corners, and try to pretend that this whole thing never happened, alright?”

            With Blake’s back still to the moonlit window, Adam couldn’t see his face.  The angel flinched, made a small sound and grew still for a moment.  Then his shoulders sagged.  “Alright.”

            The pain in Blake’s voice made Adam wince.  “Hey, that hurt in your chest,” he said, trying to change the subject.  “Is it any better?”

            “No.”  Blake’s voice was only a whisper.

            Adam cringed.  “…Worse?”

            “Much!”

            He groaned.  “It’s over me, isn’t it?  You’re upset, because of me!”

            “Yes!”

            “Ugh, you’re still worried about tomorrow!  Look, buddy,” Adam began, “I know it’s your job to protect me.  You are a very good guardian angel…”

            “I’m _not!”_   Blake’s voice cracked as he spoke.

            “Listen!  Whatever you may believe, I’m entitled to my own opinion, alright?  And my opinion is, you just want to do what you feel is best for me.  To keep me safe, so I can do whatever it is I’m supposed to do.  That’s always been your primary motivation!  And you don’t want to take me back to New York because you believe that if I’m there, you can’t keep me safe!  Am I right?”

            “Yes.”  Again, the whisper.

            “Ok, there are a couple of things that I do not understand.  Maybe you can help me.  We passed right through the angel realm to come here, and saw a whole bunch of your friends.  But the other angels?  It was like they weren’t quite there.  But that wasn’t right, was it?  The problem was that it was us, you and I, who couldn’t quite get into their world.  Right?”

            “Yes.”

            “Because of the binding spell?”

            “Yes.”

            “But they’re angels at full power!  They could see out easily, so they could still tell we were there, right?  That means they could see us, see the chains on you?”

            “Yes.”

            “So my question is this.  Why the hell didn’t they help you, Blake?  Why don’t any of them help you?  They saw you, saw the chains on you, and they have to know you’ve been bound!  Why did they let it happen?”

            “Free will,” Blake replied simply.  “They don’t have it.”

            Adam sputtered.  “So, unless it’s in the divine plan, they won’t lift a finger to help you, no matter what happens?  That’s why they all stood by twiddling their pinfeathers while you got the shit beaten out of you by the goon squad?  That’s why they didn’t stop them from binding you?”  He held up his hand again.  “You don’t have to answer.  I already know it!  They were all too busy on their own divine missions to help one of their own!  The divine plan accounts for the free will of the goon squad, but not enough to help you.  So it’s still up to us.  And that is why I can’t leave you, Blake!  I cannot just let you go alone while you’re chained up and those fuckers are still looking for you!  Look, the whole point of a binding spell is to control a supernatural creature.  The only reason they had to bind you is because they want to control you, right?  But obviously, something went wrong, you got away, and they’re chasing you to finish the job of tying you down.  You can’t fight that on your own!  We gotta work together to find a way to free you.  And it’s obvious that it’s gotta be by mortal means with no heavenly help.  But you’re still not going to tell me what it is you’re bound to, are you?”

            “No.”  Blake’s voice was firmer now.

            “You are such a huge pain in my ass, Blake!  You know that, right?”

            Blake didn’t respond to that, but there was no need to.  The angel was likely well aware of just how big of a pain in Adam’s ass he was.

            Adam rubbed at his temples, wincing as he tried to think.  “Ok, so the demon mob is still outside.  So how about we just lie low for a few days, wait for them to get bored and go somewhere else?”

            “I can’t.  I have to go back.”

            “For real?  Why, you got a hot date?”

            “I have a divine mission.”

            That was unexpected.  “You have what?  You got something you gotta do, even though you’ve been bound and you’ve got every demon in New York plus a couple of assholes out for you?  That’s nuts, Blake!  That’s worse than nuts, that’s suicide!”  He paused, frowning as he thought of something.  “Wait a minute.  I thought you couldn’t see the divine plan anymore?”

            “I can’t, but I remember that,” Blake explained.  “And I know it’s still true.  Tomorrow, there is a place I have to be.  Something I gotta deal with.”

            “And it can’t just wait a day or so?”

            “No.”

            “Why the fuck not?  I thought you had free will!”

            Blake hesitated a bit before responding.  “I do have some free will while I’m bound in human form.  But not that much.  I have to do this, Adam.  It’s a divine mission.  I can’t say no!”

            "Ironic.  You have some free will because those assholes bound you, but there’s no chance of saying no to a divine suicide mission!”  Adam sighed.  “Fine.  We’re taking a huge risk, shooting out of here with the house surrounded, but hey, whatever.  I’ll just have to trust you know what you ‘re doing.”  He rubbed his temples again, trying to think through the rising pain.  “If we leave first thing in the morning, will you have enough time to lie low at the church, maybe throw off the trail?”

            Again, the hesitation.  “Maybe?”

            “Maybe.  Wonderful.”  He yawned suddenly.  “Ok, looks like tomorrow is going to be a very busy day.  I’m going back to bed, alright?”

            Blake nodded in the darkness.  Then he reached down and lifted up the covers.

            Adam chuckled and climbed in.  “Thanks, buddy,” he called.  “Appreciate being tucked in.”

            “Of course.”  And then Blake’s hand was over Adam’s eyes.  “Sleep!”

            _No!_   Adam tried to fight it, but it was too late.  He tumbled down, down, and soon was lost in sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mr. Fun was very disappointed in Adam here. Said he broke Blake's heart and then ordered him around. "Not cool, dude. Not cool." Said he knew what Blake would do as soon as he went to tuck Adam in.


	25. Duty and Honor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adam faces the consequences of last night's actions and has an illuminating chat over breakfast

            Adam’s eyes blinked open, seeing the familiar sight of the morning sun shining through his bedroom window in his parents’ house.  He stretched, his back a bit sore from the stiffness of his bed and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes.

            And then the events of last night came crashing back to him.

            He sat up with a gasp, his eyes immediately going to Blake’s chair.

            Blake was reclined there, buried to his eyes in the blanket, looking back at Adam.  His blue eyes were as cold as ice.

            Relief washed over Adam like a wave.  “Oh, thank God!  I thought you’d left me!”

            “I tried, but I couldn’t.”

            “Because of the demons?”

            “Because you told me not to!” Blake reminded.  Irritation dripped from his voice.  “You said you were flat-out ordering me not to run away and leave you behind!”

            Adam’s eyebrows shot up in surprise.  “And that worked?  I can actually order you to do something, and you’ll obey it?  Damn, I gotta remember that!”

            Blake vanished under the blanket.

            “Ok, I get it!” Adam called.  “I impinged on your free will.  You told me last night that you only have so much of it, and I trampled on what little you have.  It wasn’t nice.  But honestly?  I do not give a shit!  I would have tied you to this bed with my old socks if I had to, Blake, to keep you from running off and facing everything waiting for you in New York alone!  I’m dead serious about that!”

            No answer from the blanket.

            “You know, you don’t get to be pissy about it when you were about to put me to sleep and take off!” Adam pointed out.  “You tried to impinge on my free will first!  What’s the difference between the two sins, huh?  And what the hell did you put me out for?  You scared the shit out of me, you giant hillbilly cock!  I was…”

            Adam frowned, and then raised an eyebrow.  Blake hadn’t moved under the blanket, and Adam finally realized what he was doing.  “Blake?  Holy shit, are you sulking?”

            “Fuck you!”

            Adam blinked.  “Ok, that’s a yes.  Wow, you really wanted to leave me behind last night, didn’t you?”

            “Yes!  This is dangerous, Adam, and you’re a stupid asshole!”

            “Tough shit, dickhead, you’re not leaving me behind!”

            Blake angrily kicked his feet once beneath the blanket, like a child throwing a tantrum.  “Let me go!”

            “No fucking way!” Adam yelled, no longer caring if he woke his parents.  He got up and stomped over to stand next to Blake’s chair, hands on his hips, glaring down at the bump under the blanket.  “You are, hands down, the best thing that has ever happened to me in my entire life, alright?  That is why I am not going to just let you go off and get yourself killed without a fight!  I’m going with you, whatever happens!”

            Silence from the blanket.

            Adam sighed.  “Come on, buddy.  Get dressed, let’s grab a quick bite to eat, say goodbye, and head back to New York so you can complete your divine mission.”

            Blake threw the blanket off, revealing that he was already dressed.  Then he crossed his arms stubbornly across his chest.  “Don’t want to eat,” he grumbled.

            “So, you’re just going to stay up here and sulk like a child?”

            Blake’s answer was to roll over into a strop.

            Adam tried, and failed, to hide his smile, glad Blake had his back to him.  Ok, his angel was royally pissed.  Adam had never seen Blake so angry at him.  But his childlike temper tantrum was actually adorable.

            More importantly, Blake was _there,_ and at the moment, that was the only thing Adam cared about.

            Adam quickly dressed.  Then he moved back to Blake and gently put a hand on his shoulder.  Blake made no move to remove it, but he refused to look at Adam.  “Blake?” he said softly.  “Come on, buddy.  Don’t be angry, ok?  I know I was wrong to break my promise and order you to stay, and I’m only making it worse now that I know you have to obey.  But I can’t let you run off and die.  I’m not that strong, buddy!  I just can’t do it!”

            Silence.  Blake’s eyes stared aimlessly somewhere away from Adam.

            Adam sighed and reached out his other hand to card his fingers through Blake’s hair.  “I know you’re upset,” he said, “and I get that it’s because you think I’m putting myself in needless danger.  I even get that this may make it harder for you to protect me!  But Blake, I cannot let you do this alone!  If we both get killed, well, so be it.  But even if that happens, we’ll go together.  Alright?”

            Blake had been ignoring him to this point, but now he irritably brushed Adam’s hands away.  Then he raised one clenched fist and popped his middle finger into the air.

            Adam nodded.  “Point made.  Alright, Blake.  Take a few minutes to pout, but then will you at least come down and say goodbye to my parents?”

            “Yes,” Blake grumbled, going back into his strop.

            “Good.  Uncle Eli should be here soon to look at you again before we go.  By the way, you’re lying on your injured arm like that.  Doesn’t that hurt?”

            No response from the sulking angel.

            Adam sighed again.  “Alright, then.”  He dared to lean down and plant a kiss on Blake’s temple.  “I’m sorry you’re pissed off at me, but I’m not sorry for my decision, or that I ordered you not to leave me behind.  You keep telling me that you won’t let anyone hurt me?  Well, buddy, that feeling is mutual.  I won’t let anyone hurt you, either.”

            Blake’s only answer was the still silence of a cold shoulder.

            Adam shook his head and went downstairs.

            His parents were already up and bustling around the kitchen, making breakfast.  His mother was at the stove, cooking a hot breakfast of oatmeal and eggs while his father poured coffee.  “We heard yelling,” she called as Adam came in.  “What’s wrong?”

            “Nothing.  Blake and I had a bit of a fight.  I hate to take off, but we really need to leave as soon as possible.”  Adam carefully washed his hands, accepted a cup of coffee and sat down at the table.

            “Did I just hear you say you had a fight with your guardian angel?” Aaron asked, incredulous.  “Are you serious?”

            Adam scowled.  “Yes, I had a fight with my guardian angel!  I’ll tell you about it once Eli gets here so I don’t have to tell it twice.”  He took another sip just as the doorbell rang.

            “That’ll be Eli,” Aaron announced.  “Let him in, would you, Adam?”

            Adam quickly let Eli in.  Eli was carrying an ancient battered first aid kit that he pushed at Adam.  “Let me wash up and have Blake come down so I can check his arm.  Those wounds were deep enough that they probably needed stitches, but obviously we couldn’t just take him back to the hospital.  Of course, I’m speaking of him like he’s human!”

            “He kind of is right now, mostly,” Adam sighed.  “Go wash up and I’ll tell everyone the whole story while we wait for breakfast.”

            A moment later, Adam was at the kitchen table, a plate of food getting cold in front of him as he told his family about meeting Blake and how he’d found out the big man was an angel in human form.  He told them he was especially worried about the two fake agents in the black SUV with the dog-loving bumper sticker.  “Blake confirms it’s a binding spell,” he concluded.  “Whoever those two are, they’re trying to capture Blake and I don’t know why!  But that spell is why he’s running round in human form.  When we were traveling through the angel realm, I could see it, golden shackles on both of his wrists, and gold chains leading back.  He can access at least some of his powers, and obviously his wings, but for the most part, he’s trapped in human form.  And that’s what we were fighting about this morning!  Blake tried to ditch me last night and go back to New York alone.  He’s worried that he won’t be able to protect me like he is now, because he’s weakened and all those demons are after him.  But I couldn’t stand the thought of losing him to demons or those fake agents, so I ordered him to stay.  And apparently, he has to obey me!  So now he’s pretty upset and he’s upstairs sulking like a child because I won’t let him go.  He still thinks he should leave me behind and go back to face everything alone!”

            “Adam, he’s probably right,” his mother said, looking worried.  “Blake’s a guardian angel, and he obviously knows what he’s doing.  Shouldn’t you trust him?”

            Adam sputtered.  “Mom, I can’t just let him go off and get himself killed or captured!”

            “Blake’s a soldier, Adam,” Eli advised.  “You saw how hard he fought to protect you last night!  He’s a fighter, and he’s got a job to do, and that job is his sole purpose.  If you want to think of it another way, he’s like the Secret Service to you being the President.  His job is to take that bullet for you.  That’s his duty and his honor.  It was wrong, dead wrong, of you to deny him that.  Of course he’s upset!”

            “Seriously?” Adam exclaimed.  “You too, Uncle Eli?”

            “And me,” his father called, sounding weary.  “Adam, if Blake is here to protect you, then it stands to reason there’s something you need protected from, right?”

            Adam frowned.  “Blake told us that people with guardian angels assigned to them are destined for a chance to make a big change that affects a lot of people.  So I guess I have some major job coming up at some point in my future, and Blake’s here to make sure I’m there to get it done.  But before you say what I know you’re about to say, who’s going to protect me if I let Blake take that bullet?”

            “If this job you’ve got to do is that important?” Aaron said quietly.  “Then I imagine that if Blake falls, another angel will be assigned to take his place.”

            “I don’t _want_ another angel!” Adam yelled, pounding a fist on the table.  “I want Blake!  I’m not going to sit back and let him get killed or captured to protect me!  I can’t do it, alright?”

            The table fell silent for a moment as everyone picked at their food.  Aaron cleared his throat.  “Is Blake coming down?”

            “He’s probably still sulking,” Adam reported.  Raising his voice, he yelled, “Blake!  Come down, Uncle Eli needs to look at your arm!”

            “You’re all charm and tact, kiddo,” Eli commented.

            Adam shoved a spoonful of oatmeal into his mouth and chewed to bite back a retort.

            “You’re a grown man, Adam,” Aaron said as his mother rose to fill a final plate for Blake.  “You’re not a child anymore, no matter how easy it is for me to think of you as one when you act like this.  So even though I think you made the wrong choice here, I’ll respect it.  Just make sure you made this choice for the right reason, Adam!”

            “What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Adam exclaimed.

            “It means that you need to make sure that your decision weighs the possibility that you might someday be the one to make a huge difference in the lives of many people, and sets that against your emotions,” Esther declared, returning to the table.  She put down Blake’s plate at an empty chair, returned to her seat, and then regarded Adam.  “I’m getting old and my eyesight isn’t what it used to be, but I’m not blind, son.  I can see the way you look at him.”

            “We all do,” his father murmured.

            “Why do you think I asked you if he was your boyfriend when I first met him?” Eli agreed.

            Adam didn’t respond.  He moodily picked at his food, not looking up as Blake entered the room.

            “Hey, big guy!” Eli called, opening his first aid kit.  “Have a seat, have some breakfast, and let me look at that arm.”

            Blake nodded, but moved to wash his hands before he sat down, drawing approving looks from Adam’s parents.  Naturally, Blake would know religious customs, Adam supposed.  He kept his eyes downcast, watching the angel out the corner of his eye.  Despite his earlier claim to not be hungry, Blake immediately started eating, although he lacked his usual enthusiasm.  Esther poured him a cup of coffee.

            “He doesn’t like coffee,” Adam called.

            “He’s capable of telling us that himself, so let him if he wishes!” Esther scolded.  “And no one can drink your coffee but you, Adam.  I told you, it’s horrible, and all you put in it is creamer!”  She added creamer and a couple of sugar cubes to Blake’s cup, stirred, and handed it over.  “Try this, sweetheart.”

            Blake cautiously accepted the cup, glancing at Eli as he began the task of pulling the old dressing off of his arm.  He took a tentative sip and smacked his lips, considering.  Then he nodded and drank some more.

            “See?” Esther called triumphantly.  “If you would have just taken the time to learn how to make coffee properly, maybe someone else could stomach it!”

            Adam scowled.

            “So, you got a couple of warlocks after you, huh, Blake?” Eli called.

            Blake looked at him, confused.

            “Warlocks?” Adam asked.

            And just like that, Blake’s face lit up.  “Warlocks!  Yes!  The Homeland Security goons!  That’s the word!”

            Adam blinked.  “Those two assholes are warlocks?  Eli, how in the hell…?”

            “Don’t you remember when you and I used to play World of Warcraft?” Eli exclaimed.  “You played a paladin and I played a warlock!  We used to joke at what a weird combination that was, a warrior of the light fighting along next to a demon summoner?”

            “Yeah, but why do you think they summon demons?”

            “Because they summoned Blake!” Eli replied, poking tentatively at Blake’s wound and frowning when the angel winced.  “They beat you up with spells, didn’t they, big guy?  Dragged you right out of the sky!”

            Blake nodded, looking upset.

            “Figured as much,” Eli said, picking up a fresh dressing.  “I don’t consider myself an expert in the subject because I played the class in a video game, but it seems to me that summoning an angel would be a hell of a lot harder than summoning a demon, right?  So, it makes sense they started small, imps and such, just like the video game.  These guys probably just moved on to this, trying to enslave an angel.  I’m betting that’s why they screwed up and Blake got away.”  He paused as Blake grimaced.  “Sorry, buddy, did I hurt you?”

            “No.”  Blake picked up a forkful of egg and stared at it.  “ _They_ hurt me!  Now they won’t leave me alone!”

            “I always did hate that game,” Esther declared.  “Now I hate it more!”

            “I know, mom, but at least now I have some idea of what I’m dealing with,” Adam said.  “I figured they did some kind of spell that made that phone call come from Eli’s phone and in his voice, and a demon would probably be able to pull something like that off.  If their power is demonic, it explains how they were able to beat up and trap an angel.”

            “But it doesn’t help you to fight against them,” Aaron warned.  “They may be warlocks, but you’re hardly a paladin!”  He glanced at Blake, and then looked back at his son.  “Adam, what we were talking about before?  If this is true, then it stands for double!  Demons are bad enough.  But demons controlled by warlocks makes it…”

            “…Too dangerous!” Blake exclaimed.  He threw down his fork and glared at Adam.  “This is too dangerous, Adam!  Stay here with your parents.  Let me go!”

            “No!  I can’t do it!  I can’t!”  Adam turned imploringly towards Eli.  “Eli, when you were in the army, you saw action, combat.  I’m sure there were times when it would have been simpler, and safer for your entire group and the mission, to let one man take a hit alone to save everyone else.  Could you do it?  Could you sit back and let someone you… care about take that hit for you?”

            Adam had stopped himself just short of saying the word “love.”  Even though it seemed like the whole world knew of his feelings for his angel, somehow it was as if he could separate himself from it if he just avoided saying it out loud now.

            But Adam’s words had gotten through to Eli.  The former soldier had gone stiff, his green eyes far away, lost in memory.  At last, he pinched his lips and nodded.  “I get it, Adam.  And like Aaron said, it’s your decision if you let him go or not, and Blake’s choice to obey or not.”

            “No choice,” Blake grumbled.  “He ordered me to stay!”

            “Ordered you?  Now that doesn’t make sense!”

            “How could you order him, Adam?” Aaron asked, as confused as Eli.  “Having a fight and telling him not to go and having him listen is one thing.  Ordering him to stay when he clearly wants to leave is something altogether different!  What gives you that kind of control over him?”

            “He’s my guardian angel, so I guess I’ve got that privilege,” Adam replied, shrugging.  “What else could it be, right?”

            “I don’t know,” Aaron confessed.  “I know nothing about this magic stuff.  Eli?”

            Eli was looking at Blake.  “I already told you what I thought about it, Adam,” he said, not taking his eyes off the angel, who was staring at his plate.  “But if you do have the ability to actually command Blake?  Then you need to be very careful if you use it again.”

            Esther was also looking at Blake, her blue eyes narrowed.  “Blake?” she called.  “You know why you had to obey him?”

            Blake nodded, still staring at his plate.

            “I would like for you to tell me why that it is,” she said.  “Is Adam right?”

            “No.”  Blake’s voice was barely a whisper.

            “Then what is it?”

            For a long moment, Blake stayed silent.  Then his eyes turned imploringly to Adam.  “Let me go!  Please?”

            “I can’t do that, buddy.  Come on, you’re not getting out of this now.  I want you to look my mother in the eyes and tell her why you had to obey me.  We all want to know!”

            Sky blue eyes met crystal blue eyes as Blake met Esther’s gaze.  For a long time, they simply looked at each other.  And then Blake looked away, staring back at his plate again.

            “Well!  Seems like he doesn’t have to obey you all the time, now, does he?” Eli noted.  “That’s actually a relief.”

            “I kind of told him it was a direct order last night,” Adam explained.  “He’s ignored me plenty of times before that!”

            “Good,” Aaron agreed.  “Eli’s right, Adam.  If you can control him, then you need to be very careful.  Not only is it dead wrong to take away someone else’s free will, but that’s something I bet those warlock guys would be very interested in.”

            “Exactly!” Blake exclaimed, startling everyone.  “That’s why they want us both!”

            “Blake, seriously, you can stop being all mysterious, ok?” Adam sighed.  “I think I just figured this out.  You have to obey me when I give you a direct order because you’re bound to me, aren’t you?  When I saw those chains, I thought they were going back through me to New York, behind us.  But they were going to me!  That’s why you won’t just destroy what’s tying you down.  Because that would mean you destroy me!”

            Blake made a small noise and doubled over, slamming his hands on the table.  He closed his eyes and breathed hard through gritted teeth.

            “That true, Blake?” Eli asked calmly, finishing the dressing on Blake’s arm.  “Are you bound to Adam?”

            “Yes,” Blake confessed.  “But not just him.  They have a gun, but it’s not a gun.  It’s like CeeLo’s gun, it only looks like one.  It’s really…”  He shook his head.  “Don’t have the word.”

            “Wait, you have two spell focuses on you?” Adam exclaimed.

            Blake nodded, miserable.  Then he got up and headed to the window.  He leaned on the sill, looked out, and sighed deeply.

            Aaron rose and went to him.  “They still out there?  Those demons?”

            Blake nodded again.

            “And that will make it harder for you, won’t it?  To get safely up to this angel realm, especially carrying Adam!”

            “I’m not leaving him!”

            “You realize if you go back with him, you’re basically handing those warlocks another leash around Blake’s neck?” Eli pointed out.

            “Yes, but it doesn’t change anything,” Adam declared.  “If they’re warlocks, they can send their demons after me just as easily here as they could in New York.  They’re probably out there now!  And since Blake has some divine mission he’s got to do, we can’t just wait them out.  We have to figure out a way to get through them as soon as possible!”

            “Don’t worry so much on those demons, boy,” Aaron declared.  “Especially not now!  I made some calls last night, woke up a few people.  Here they come now.”

            Adam looked, blinking in surprise.  A small caravan of vehicles was parking in the driveway and along the street.  The doors opened, dispensing a collection of men, nearly a dozen of them.  “Called a friend on the Board of Rabbis of Southern California that owes me a favor.  Had him call every rabbi in driving distance,” Aaron explained when Adam turned his shocked eyes towards him.  “Figured the more, the merrier, right?”

            “Dad!” Adam whooped.  “You’re a genius!”

            “You thought you were the only one willing to do whatever it takes to protect someone you love?”  He pulled Adam into a tight hug.  “You’re a damned fool, Adam, and I still think you’re making a mistake.  But if this is what you’ve chosen to do, then I will do what I can to give you a better chance at surviving it.”  Releasing Adam, Aaron turned to Blake.  “Time to go?”

            “Yes, Sir.”  Blake was actually smiling a little.

            “Then you take the best care of my boy that you can,” Aaron advised.  “Let it be known, my blessing goes with you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mr. Fun, my army man, said that Uncle Eli was 100% correct, and that Adam was completely wrong to take away Blake's choice here. But at the same time, they were both only trying to protect each other. Loved the rabbis showing up at the end, said it made him think of the scene here (starts at 0:50) from "Ghostbusters"  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNuG25oq_b0


	26. Speedy Getaway

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adam and Blake make their run for New York and Blake's divine mission

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the delay here, my hypergraphia is being difficult again. I was binge watching Supernatural (I blame you, Jack!) and now I've got this wierd crossover story running through my head along with this one. Very very aggravating when you can't focus on one thing at a time and end up with multiple windows or pieces of paper all over the place, jumping from story to story! Bear with me, folks, I'll get that other one out of my system, File 12 or 13 it, and business as usual.

            The trip up into the angel realm was probably the most nerve wracking thing Adam had yet experienced.  It started with Blake’s hesitation when Adam had said his final goodbyes and put his arms around the angel’s neck, ready to be picked up.  For a long, awkward moment, Blake had only stood stiffly with his hands at his sides.  When he’d finally scooped Adam up, his face had been blank, and he’d refused to meet Adam’s eyes.

            But even this was nothing compared to the actual departure.  As Blake shot like a comet from the garage, Adam had looked down and saw what appeared to be a heavy cloud of thick, black smoke on the ground.  Looking like an island of calm in a black, stormy sea, his father’s house almost seemed to gleam.  But as the circle of rocking, praying rabbis around the house faded in the distance, the cloud itself swelled, rising from the ground in a cone shape to give pursuit.

            Blake’s mighty wings pounded like pistons, carrying them higher and higher.  Adam clung fearfully to him, looking back.  The demons were slowly but steadily closing the gap.  No longer a shapeless mass, Adam could pick out individual creatures, nightmares of teeth and claws and leathery wings, sulfur breath staining the air foul, roaring and screeching in a sound felt rather than heard as they gave chase.  Slowed by a human body and Adam’s weight, Blake was losing his frantic race.  Adam was staring into the blazing red eyes of a snarling hunter only yards away when the demons suddenly shrieked, frantically back flapped, and then dove back towards the ground below.

            They had reached the angel realm.

            Adam breathed a sigh of relief.  If it hadn’t been for the intervention of the rabbis, he had no doubt that the speedy hunters would have surely caught up to them.  But now they were safe.  Adam let himself relax and bury his face into Blake’s neck for a moment.  “Nice flying, buddy!” he exclaimed.  “That was way too close.”

            _“It will be closer when we reach New York.”_

            “Yeah, I know.”  Adam dared risking Blake’s irritation by staying pressed against his neck a bit longer, giving in to his need for the comfort this provided.  He wasn’t surprised when Blake turned his face away, but it still hurt.  He drew back, trying to act like it hadn’t.  But now he could hear Blake’s singing, joining with the other angels barely visible among them.  The song wasn’t angry so much as it was sad, with a strong note of dread and fear that made a lovely yet notable counterpart to the general theme of the angel realm.  Adam listened to it for a moment, looking down at Blake’s arms.  Blake carried him bridal style this time, with Adam clinging to his neck.  The golden chains were visible once more on Blake’s wrists.  The chain on his left arm led ahead, stretching out to whatever the warlocks had as one spell focus in New York.  But the other chain was leading up, stretching into Adam’s body.

            Adam stared for a long moment at the chains.  Then he took Blake’s chin and turned his face towards him.  “Don’t be angry at me,” he pleaded as Blake’s eyes met his.  “I’m sorry!  I know I hurt you and you’re frightened, and nothing I can say will make up for ordering you to stay with me.”  He indicated the chains.  “I never wanted this.  You told me that the manacles didn’t hurt you unless you tried to fight, and you must have fought last night!  I never wanted to hurt you, Blake!  I understand if I frighten you, now that I know I can control you.  But I won’t do it again.  I won’t force you to do anything you don’t want to do, alright?  Please please don’t stay angry at me!”

            _“I’m not angry at you, Rockstar,”_ Blake replied, his song growing more soothing.  _“Mostly, I’m just pissed off at myself for getting you into this mess in the first place.”_

            “Blake, you didn’t do anything wrong!  It’s not your fault that you’re bound to me.”

            Blake looked away, and his song took on a note of shame.  _“It is, Adam.  It really is.”_

            Blake went silent, and Adam didn’t want to press him.  Blake was clearly upset, and seemed to really believe that he’d somehow done something that had caused the warlocks to choose Adam as the target for their spell.  But he had no idea why the angel would believe that.  Maybe because he’d been assigned to him?  Perhaps.  Adam made a mental note to sit him down and talk things over as soon as they got the chance.  But for now, he decided, it had to wait.  Blake was heading right into terrible danger.  He’d need his full facilities in the fight that was coming.

            Adam looked down, and his eyes grew wide.  Before, they’d made this trip in darkness.  But now it was full daylight.  Rippling emerald plains spread out below them like an ocean of green.  Spring was in full bloom, and everywhere he could see, Adam saw signs of emerging life.

            It was beautiful, but at the same time, it made him want to weep.  Would Blake survive this day, live to see this promise of spring fulfilled?

            He must have tightened his arms around Blake’s neck because the angel’s song suddenly changed, becoming comforting, soothing.  Blake’s lips pressed against his temple.  _“I’ll protect you,”_ came the vow.  _“I’ll die before I let anything happen to you!”_

            “That is exactly what I’m afraid of!”

            But the song rose, and once more, Adam felt himself starting to fall into it.  All around him, souls moved on to heaven and hell, and there it was, another glimpse of that great tapestry, too immense for a human mind to comprehend.  Spread out as it was now, over this vast viridian sea of life, it was beyond beautiful.

            It almost felt like coming home after a long, difficult absence.  Suddenly, nothing they faced seemed so bad.

            Adam moaned softly, going limp in Blake’s arms.  “Please don’t ever try to leave me again,” he pleaded.  “I have to let you go, I know I do, I know I have to let you go back to this, and to heaven.  But until then, Blake?  Until then, I swear, I won’t leave you!  And this time, it’s a promise I’ll keep.”

            _“I know.”_   Sadness tinged the angel’s song for a moment, mixed in with an odd touch of longing.  Then once again the song rose, clear and strong and full of comfort and hope and the desperate promise of protection.  It wrapped around Adam like a warm blanket, closer than Blake’s arms as they carried him, and Adam fell in.  His head lolled against Blake’s shoulder.

            Beneath them, the dazed human saw plains rise into mountains beneath the angel’s wings.  And then they were passing over them, the sparkling blue of the ocean coming into view.  They were there, the familiar sight of the great city spreading out before them.  New York, full of grit and beauty, saints and sinners, ordinary people bustling around leading ordinary lives, unaware of the unseen mechanizations of the supernatural realm.

            Could any of them even imagine that this angelic highway lay over their heads?

            Adam was still in a daze as Blake started to descend, carefully dipping down, heading out of the angel realm.  Looking down, it appeared that his target wasn’t one of the grand cathedrals that Adam expected, but a simple old church located on a crowded, dingy back street.  Of course.  Adam was willing to bet that there were far more devout worshippers among the small congregation at this church than in all the fancy suits that crowded into the cathedrals. 

            Blake skimmed along for a moment.  Then his wings dipped and they dropped beneath the protective barrier of the angel realm.

            It started the moment that Blake dipped down low enough to be out of the protection of the angelic superhighway.  His left arm suddenly pulled away from Adam, pulling out from beneath his legs with a jerk.  Blake gave a startled cry, flapping wildly for a moment until he regained his equilibrium.  He held tight to Adam with his other arm as Adam clung to his neck, snapped abruptly out of his daze and dangling a terrifying distance above the ground.  “Blake!”

            _“Hold on!”_   Blake rapidly changed directions and did a barrel roll in the air, twisting under his outstretched arm to roll himself under Adam and use his right arm to pull him close.  _“Adam, I need you to hold onto me, support yourself as much as you can so I don’t lose you!”_

            “Ok, let me wrap up on you!”  Adam immediately wrapped his arms and legs around Blake’s body, clinging for dear life.  His heart pounded as Blake returned to an upright position.  Blake had come so close to dropping him!  What had happened?

            Then he looked up at Blake’s left arm and saw what he’d hoped not to see.  The golden chain on his wrist had gone taut, dragging Blake through the air, away from the safety of the church.  Adam looked back in despair, seeing the church moving further and further behind them.  “Blake, it’s the warlocks!  They’re summoning you again!  They’re dragging you back!”

            _“I know!”_   The angel flapped his wings hard, straining against the pull of the chain at his wrist.  _“I can’t stop it, Rockstar!”_

            “You can’t?”  Adam’s face went pale.  “You mean there’s nothing we can do?  They’re going to drag you in, and there’s no way I can stop them from taking you?”

            Blake shook his head, and Adam’s heart sank.  “What do we do?”

            _“The only thing I can.”_   The angel struggled hard, his face twisted with effort.  His wings beat again and they flipped around, diving headfirst towards the ground.

            The drop went on for a terrifying amount of time.  Adam looked frantically around.  Not a steeple in sight, no sign of anything that might offer sanctuary.  But as he looked, he noticed something strange.  “What’s this purple light?”

            Blake didn’t respond.  He continued to dive, skimming along the sides of the buildings, heading towards the street.  _“Adam?  I can’t stop them from taking me, but they’re trying to force me to bring you to them, too.  Once I get low enough, you have to let go!”_

            “What?  No!  We’ve already been through this!  I’m not leaving you!”

            _“I know, and I’m not asking you to!  But if they drag us both in, they’ll use you to trap me!”_

            It was the only thing Blake could have said that had any chance of getting through to Adam.  _I’m the spell focus for one of the binding spells!  If they can somehow use me, then Blake will be fighting two chains, not just one!_   “Alright,” he said aloud.  “Drop me off as soon as you can, and I’ll find you!  I’ll come for you, Blake, do you hear me?  I will _not_ let them enslave you!”

            Blake tightened his arm around Adam for a moment, pressing a kiss to his temple.  _“Please be careful?”_

            “You worry about yourself!  Ok, looking good here, Big Country, ready, jumping!”

            Adam managed to tuck and roll when he hit the ground, but Blake had still been moving fast.  Adam found himself tumbling out of control for a moment before he landed with a grunt against the side of a building.  The impact knocked the wind out of him for a moment and painfully jarred his shoulder.  He wasted precious time on his knees, holding his throbbing shoulder and waiting for his breathing to return to normal and his ears to stop ringing.  Then he struggled to his feet and looked around, getting his bearings.  The chain, he recalled, had been leading in this direction.  Adam broke into a jog, heading towards where he’d seen it.

            He ended up in a blind alley.

            Trying to control his panic, Adam jogged back out, heading along the block, looking for a way around.  But when he found a street heading in the right direction, it turned, taking him further from where Blake had been taken.  He was forced to double back the other way to return to the blind alley and move past it in the opposite direction.  As he jogged, his panic grew, as did the sense of coldness, darkness…

            “Oh, shit!”

            He couldn’t see it, but he knew it was there, the demon that stalked him, drawing ever closer.  He bolted, running as fast as he could.  These things were running them to ground on the back of a speeding motorcycle, had nearly caught Blake in the air.  Adam knew he had no chance of outrunning it.  But he ran anyway, his heart pounding in his chest as he felt it closing on him.

            It was on him in seconds, right on the sidewalk in broad daylight, leaping onto Adam’s back.  Adam twisted his body desperately, somehow managed to throw the thing off, and staggered into a side alley.  He looked around, and his eyes fell on a twisted, rusted piece of metal lying against the side of the building.  He grabbed it and held up in front of him like a medieval sword.  "Ok, asshole," he called.  "Come get some!"

            The thing attacked, claws raking down Adam's arm.  It felt like being slashed by hot knives dipped in acid.  The pain was immense, taking Adam's breath away and nearly making him drop his weapon.  But he held on, swinging wildly in wide arcs in front of him.  The cold iron hit something, and deep in the recess of his mind, Adam heard it shriek in surprise and fury.  Adam quickly followed up with two more fast hits.  He had no illusions that he'd be able to fight this thing off, but it wasn't about to get him without a fight.  _I'm sorry, Blake._

            Suddenly, something hit him once more from behind, throwing him roughly to the ground face first.  The piece of rusted iron flew from his hand.  Adam yelled, kicking at the unseen attacker, bracing for the bite of teeth or claws.  But the demon only held him down.  It seemed to be waiting for something.

            And then, to Adam’s amazement, his phone rang.  Confused, he reached for it, blinked at the unfamiliar number, and answered.  “Um, hello?”

            “Adam Levine?  This is Carson Daly.  I believe we need to talk.”

            “You son of a bitch!  Where’s Blake?”  Adam strained to get up, only to be pushed back down by a clawed hand.  “What have you done with him?”

            “Who?”

            “Blake!  You fucking summoned him back!”

            “Oh, the angel!  That’s cute that you gave it a name.  It’s here, and that’s what we need to talk about.”

            “You bastard,” Adam breathed, ignoring the claws that dug into his back as the demon continued to hold him down.  “If you hurt him, I swear…!”

            “Here’s what you need to do,” Carson interrupted.  “You need to hang up with me, and then tell the mutt with you now that it’s got permission to take you.”

            Adam blinked.  “What?”

            “The only thing it can really do without your consent is kill you,” Carson explained pleasantly.  “Would you prefer that?”

            “Uh, not really, no?”

            “Then do as I say.  Tell it that it has your permission to take you to us.  If you do that, it will bring you right over.  I suggest you move quickly.  You’ve attracted too much attention already, and I can only control so many of these mutts at once.”

            Adam blinked at his phone as it went dead.  He carefully put it back in his pocket.  Then he raised his hands in surrender.  “Let me up,” he called.  “I’m done fighting.”

            The pressure on his back eased as the demon moved off of him.  Adam gingerly got up, glad that no one was around in this dingy side street to see him appearing to talk to himself.  He turned and looked back at the thing that had caught him.  If he focused, he could just barely make it out, a shadow that wasn’t caused by any trick of the light.  The thing was more like a hole in reality.  Closing his eyes almost made it easier to see, an image of long clawed hands and a nose that sniffed hungrily at him.  He could sense it, a will trapped and angry and wanting nothing more than to tear into the warm flesh before it.

            Adam took a shaky breath.  “Ok, um, I want to make it clear that I’m not willing to be dragged down into Hell, or off into some alley somewhere and eaten,” he told the thing.  “But I need to get to Blake.  For the record, this is temporary, just so I can get to him.  So…”  He swallowed hard.  “You have my permission to take me to the warlocks.”

            Immediately a shoulder slammed into Adam’s gut.  He grunted and doubled over, finding himself thrown over a black, leathery shoulder.  He was back in the spirit world.

            Now he could see it clearly.  The thing had him, holding his legs with one arm to keep him in place.  He was over its shoulder and it wasn’t flying, but running straight up the wall of the building.  Adam’s head was dangling down towards the ground.  Its claws scraped against brick.  Then it reached the top and charged onto the rooftop, making Adam’s torso slam against its winged back.  “Hey!” he protested.  “Take it easy!”

            Naturally, the demon ignored him, carrying him up over the roof and then leaping across an alley.  It had, he realized, its own silent song.  But unlike the soothing angel song, which was able to lull him even when the angel he’d fallen in love with was clearly upset, the song of the hunter demon was one of horror.  It spoke of blood, of pain, of human misery and suffering that creatures like this nourished and fed on.  And through it all was a deep, throbbing bass hum that was pure hatred and frustration.  Listening to it, Adam knew that this creature had been enslaved.  It wanted nothing more than to throw Adam down right here and now and simply tear into him, revel in his screams and watch the life fade from his eyes.

            Given the slightest chance, the least bit of a loosening in the warlocks’ control, it would do exactly that.

            Adam clenched his teeth and bounced, fighting back his revulsion and fear to keep himself from screaming at the hunter demon to put him down, let him go, leave him alone!  But Blake needed him, needed him desperately.  For Blake, he’d bear this.

            The hunter was carrying him straight down the side of the building now.  Adam shuddered and made himself hold still, watching over his shoulder as the ground drew nearer.  And then suddenly the thing let him go, about six feet above the pavement.  Adam yelped in surprise, trying to twist himself around as he fell, and managed to land on his side with a bone-jarring thud.

            He got up with a groan.  Now his other shoulder hurt.  “Fuck!” he swore, glaring up at where he thought the creature lurked on the wall.  “What’d you drop me for, asshole?  I wasn’t fighting!”

            “Adam Levine!”

            The sound of his name came from the end of the alley.  Looking towards it, Adam could see a purple glow that waxed and waned.

            “Get in here, Levine!”  Carson’s voice again.  “The mutt can’t take you past the barrier, and you really do not want to be outside of it for much longer, especially not while Usher’s wrestling with this overgrown tree topper!”

            Adam glanced up and realized that the demon – suddenly the “I heart big mutts” bumper sticker on the warlock’s SUV took on a whole new meaning – was still up on the building, clinging to the side, watching him hungrily.  But it was no longer alone.  He could sense three, no four, more with it, all clinging to the side of the building, watching him.  As he looked, he could almost see the cold red glow of their eyes.

            Adam got up, wincing at the matching pain in both of his shoulders, and moved into the purple light.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mr. Fun chose the song for the second part of this chapter - "Unholy" by Kiss. We decided this was a great theme song for Usher and Carson here.  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_kCw1WV68xU  
> Mr. Fun liked that both sides had their own song (angels and demons) that went along with what they were. Said he figured they'd have some kind of protection spell.


	27. Your Friendly Neighborhood Warlocks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When given free will, even angels, it seems, can lie.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The diegetic song playing in the SUV here is "Touch Of Evil" by Warlock:  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_y5XCQZfXT0

            Adam could hear it the moment he stepped into the odd purple light.  Blake was singing again, but this time his song was heartbreaking.  It spoke of fear, anger, pain, distress, and humiliation, all providing a gentle countermelody to the overlying theme, the sickening feeling of being trapped.  For the most part, it was only emotion.  But now came the telepathic portion as well.  _“Let me go!”_

            Adam bolted out of the alley and looked up.  There was Blake, wings beating so hard and fast they were a blur, darting around in the air in the open area between warehouses.  His face was a twisted grimace of effort as he struggled, fighting to pull free from the chain on his left wrist.  As the odd purple light pulsed, Blake faded in and out of sight, one minute clearly visible and the next ghostly and barely there.

            Usher and Carson were standing on the ground next to the familiar SUV.  In Carson’s hand was an elaborate staff, made of metal, obsidian, and crystal.  A dark violet crystal tipped the staff, and this was the source of the pulsing glow.  Next to him, Usher stood with both hands holding his pistol, which was pointed at Blake.  But instead of bullets, a slender golden chain extended from the barrel of the weapon.  The chain grew thicker and heavier as it went out from the weapon until it reached the shackle around Blake’s wrist.  The angel was struggling wildly against it and Usher held on, looking like an angler trying to land a prize catch.  The warlock was smiling broadly even as he strained.  “Come on, dammit!” he yelled.  “You can’t win this, you stupid creature!  Stop fighting and land!”  His finger moved, squeezing the trigger.

            Blake’s song was suddenly filled with pain.  His body jerked, his wild flapping stuttered, and he dropped to a heap on the ground.  Immediately, the chain began to retract into Usher’s weapon, dragging Blake along the ground towards the two warlocks. 

            _“No!  You don’t know what you’re doing!”_   Blake twisted quickly around, got to his feet and dug in his heels.  Once more, the wings flapped, and Blake was again in the air, fighting to regain the inches he’d lost.  _“Stop!  Let me go!”_

            “Let him go!” Adam yelled.  “Stop it, you’re hurting him!”

            Usher’s eyes remained locked on his prey, but Carson’s turned and spotted Adam.  A pleasant, welcoming smile spread across his features.  “Levine!  Get over here,” he called, waving Adam over.  “We need your help with this capture.”

            “Are you out of your fucking minds?” Adam exclaimed.  “You knocked us out of the sky, you just had a demon drag me over here, and you’re trying to enslave my angel!  You’re crazy if you think I’m going to help you!  Let him go!”

            That made both warlocks chuckle.  “Just come here,” Carson said pleasantly.  “Give us this angel, and we’ll get you back to our place so we can take that spell off of you.  The mutts won’t bother you after that.”

            “Are you deaf, or just stupid?  I am not going to give you my guardian angel!”

            And now the warlocks laughed, exchanging a knowing look.  “Stupid peasants!” Usher scoffed.  “They see an angel and automatically think it’s there to protect them!”

            “Don’t be an ass, Usher, it’s not his fault,” Carson scolded.  He waved Adam over again.  “Come on, Levine.  We won’t hurt you.”

            “You’re hurting Blake!”

            “That was it!” Usher exclaimed.  “I thought you gave this thing a name before.  Damn, I could not remember it, and dickhead Carson here wouldn’t tell me.”  He frowned up at Blake, who was still struggling in the air.  “Ok, _Blake_ , playtime’s over.  You get your ass down on the ground or you’re getting another jolt!”

            “No, stop it!” Adam yelled, running out towards Blake.  “Don’t hurt him!”

            “Then come over here and let us borrow you for a moment,” Carson ordered.  “See the lines of force leading to him?”

            “What, you mean the chains?”

            “Eh, it looks different to everyone,” Carson explained.  “I see lines of force, like lightning.”

            “And I see award-winning blue ribbons!” Usher called.

            “Bottom line is, you can see them.  The reason one is leading to you is…”

            “…Is because I’m a focus for a binding spell.  I know that!” Adam snapped.

            Now the warlocks looked impressed.  “He knows what a binding spell is!” Carson exclaimed.

            “The angel probably told him.”

            “You’re still trying to claim it can talk?”

            “It can!  I heard it!”

            “Would you two knock it off?” Adam roared.  “Fucking let him go!”

            Carson waved him over again.  “Come over here so we can drag it down.”

            “Fuck you!”

            “Whoa, easy now!” Carson warned, raising a hand towards Adam.  “Look, you’re obviously very upset…”

            “You think?!”

            “…But we’re not a couple of evil monsters, we’re not here to hurt you, and we can explain.  I’m happy to sit down with you right here and now and explain everything, even before we complete the capture…”

            “Seriously?” Usher exclaimed.  “We gotta get this thing in the cage!”

            “Shut up, Usher, I’m talking here.”

            “Whatever, talk faster, Hark the Herald is pulling my arms out of their sockets!”

            “I thought you took the strength enhancer?”

            “I did!  You think you can land this bitch after the way it knocked us around last time, old man?”

            “I’m half a century older than you!  That’s nothing!”

            “Just talk faster!”

            Carson rolled his eyes and turned back to a sputtering Adam.  “Alright, bottom line.  The more that this thing fights and carries on in the air like this, the more it attracts the mutts.  And the mutts keep getting bigger!  As I have already mentioned, I can only control so many at one time.  I was able to shield the angel until we got it down here, and obviously I’m still shielding us now.  But I can’t hold them back forever!  Now, I’m sorry that the second half of the binding spell got stuck onto you, Mr. Levine, but that’s where it is right now.  Unfortunately, that means we need to use you to get Tinkerbell here out of the sky.  So if you’ll just come over…”

            “Just let him go!” Adam exclaimed.  “I cannot believe this!  I’m standing here talking to a couple of warlocks and….  Wait, is that ‘Touch Of Evil’ you’re playing on your radio in there?  You’re listening to the band ‘Warlock’ as you try to enslave an angel?  Seriously?”

            “Personal pride, man!  Ok, I didn’t want to be like this, but here’s the deal,” Usher declared.  “You like this thing?  You’re attached to it, gave it a name?  Then help us get it out of the sky or I’ll keep hitting it until I knock it out and drag it over!”

            “No!  Alright!  Just stop!  I’ll get him down, just don’t hurt him anymore!”

            “Excellent!”  Once more, Carson waved him over.  “Just come over here.  I promise it won’t hurt.”

            “Fuck you,” Adam called miserably, his eyes on Blake.  “I can get him down from right here.”

            Carson and Usher exchanged an odd look, but said nothing.  Adam ignored them.  He moved further out into the open, closer to Blake.

            Blake was still straining in the air at the end of the chain.  His terrified eyes were moving from Adam to the warlocks and back even as he clawed at the air, straining to pull free.

            “Blake?” Adam called.  “Come down here, buddy.”

            _“Please, Adam!  Don’t help them!  Don’t let them take me now!  I’m sorry I lied!”_

            Adam blinked.  “Sorry you lied?  What?  You know what, never mind.  Just trust me, ok?”

            “Is he talking to that thing?”  Usher’s voice was soft behind Adam, obviously intended for Carson.

            “My concern is that he seems to think it’s talking back.”

            “It does talk!  I’m telling you, I heard it, but I certainly didn’t hear it just now!”

            Adam ignored this.  He reached up his hands towards Blake.  “Please, buddy, come down, ok?  They’ll only hurt you again if you don’t!  Trust me.  C’mere!”

            Blake landed a few feet away from Adam, his wings vanished, and once more he was completely solid.  He gasped in alarm when Usher jerked on the chain, pulled back, and his wings opened once more.

            “Stop it!” Adam roared.  “Stop trying to drag him closer!  You wanted him down, he’s down, now quit jerking on him!”  Running to Blake, Adam moved until he was between the angel and the warlocks.  “It’s alright, buddy,” he soothed.  “Just hold still, put your wings away.  You’re gonna get us attacked by every demon in New York if you don’t calm down!”

            Blake’s breath was coming in harsh, panicked breaths, but his wings folded and vanished.  He jerked hard on the chain.  “Let me go!  Please!  My mission!  They can’t take me before I complete my mission!”

            “Ha!”  Usher’s voice.  “Told you!  You owe me twenty bucks, Carson!  I told you it could talk!”

            “Whatever, I’ll pay you later.”

            “Bullshit, you’ll pay me as soon as we get Holy Moley into the cage!”

            “Fine!  Greedy bastard.”

            “I just know what a skinflint you are.”

            “Would you both just shut the hell up?” Adam yelled, not taking his eyes off of Blake.  Then he lowered his voice, making it soothing, and raised his hands.  “Look at me, Blake.  I’m right here, and I swear I’m not going to force you to do anything.  Calm down and talk to me, ok?”

            “Please don’t help them take me?” Blake pleaded again.  “I have a mission!”

            “I know you do, and I’ll find a way to help you do it!  I swear I will.  But you gotta calm down, ok?  Now, let me take hold of you, so I can prove you’re down and they stop hurting you.  Just keep calm, keep your wings in…  That’s it.  It’s alright.”  Adam slipped his arms around Blake’s waist and held him tightly.

            Blake was shaking like a leaf.  He hesitated, but his right arm finally went around Adam.  “You won’t hurt me, will you?” he asked quietly.  “You won’t order me to let them take me?”

            “Never.”  Twisting his head, Adam looked back at the two warlocks.  “Ok, he’s down, and he’s calmer.  Don’t hurt him anymore!”

            “Great, drag it over here!  Usher, keep it steady.”

            “I’m not a novice, asshole!  I’m two hundred years old and I know how to do a capture!”

            Carson ignored this.  Moving quickly around Usher, he popped open the back of the SUV.  “The cage is back here, Levine,” he called.  “Once the angel’s inside, we’ll take you with us back to our place.  It’s got all the wards we need to take care of that spell.  And seriously, we are really very sorry about this whole mess, especially for you thinking it’s your guardian angel.”

            “I wish!” Usher exclaimed.  “But honestly, I doubt there’s a warlock in this world or beyond with the power to bind a guardian angel!”

            Adam went still, looking up at Blake, who refused to meet his eyes.  “What do you mean?”

            “Couple of things every warlock knows about guardians,” Usher explained.  “Number one, they always come in pairs.  You never see a single one, so you are always facing a double threat.  And they work together really well.  They are literally built to be part of a team!  Second, guardians are obscenely powerful.  If we’d tackled a guardian, even if we somehow managed to separate it from its partner, it probably would have blasted us into the next galaxy!  As you may have noticed, we’ve had quite a bit of trouble just capturing this messenger!”

            “Messenger?”  Adam was still looking up at Blake.  “You’re a messenger, not a guardian?”

            Blake hung his head, not answering.

            “That there is your garden variety heavenly messenger, basic angel class,” Carson confirmed.  “Still a bigger, tougher pit bull than any other mutt those assholes can throw against us at competition this year!”  He was busy with something in the back of the vehicle.  “That’s why we need it.  I don’t care if the Canadians bring back that pit lord again, this time we’re owning that convention!  With this pureblood pedigree here, we’ll take on every mutt that comes into that fighting pit, along with the Canadians and the werebeasts they rode in on!”

            Usher whooped.  “First warlocks to enslave an angel in damned near a century!  If that doesn’t win us the prize, nothing will!  Can I get an halleluiah?”

            “Halleluiah!”

            “Amen!”

            “What are you two, a comedy act?” Adam exploded.  “There is nothing funny about this!  What are you talking about?  Messengers and pit lords and Canadian conventions, and did you say werebeasts?”

            “Ok, quick, simple answer time,” Usher declared.  “First, Flutterby here isn’t a guardian, it’s a messenger.  They’re basically the worker bees of the heavenly host, pretty low on the divine totem pole.  But they’re still damned tough!  The last warlocks to try to bind one of them did not have such a good time…”

            “The angel broke free and ended them,” Carson added.  “Spread bits of them out to the moon and back, if the legends are true.”

            “…But we know it’s been done in the past.  So we’ve studied what they did, tried to understand what went wrong,” Usher continued.  “And we figured out the problem!  You see, with demons, even something as big and bad as that pit lord those Canadian fuckers captured, as long as you have a very powerful binding point, the proper spell, and a suitable sacrifice, you can enslave them.  But angels are way tougher, ok?”

            “Which is why the angel broke free and went all wrath of God on them!”

            “Thank you, Carson, can I please tell the story?”

            “You’re taking too long, and you’re boring when you tell it.  So anyway, we realized that the answer was to use not one binding point, but two!  One needed to be a very powerful magical artifact.  So we used Usher’s staff to…”

            “Notice that I use a modern version, not that clunky antique this old geezer uses?” Usher called, indicating the gun.  “Still a weapon, which a staff has always been, but lighter, more compact, less clunky, and as long as you have a badge, you can even take it on a plane!  Meanwhile, Captain Traditional here has to classify his weapon as ‘artwork’ and pay to have it checked.  This one time, it got sent to Bermuda when we were heading to Brazil…”

            “Usher!  Sorry, Mr. Levine, I know you don’t want to hear about our problems with air travel.”

            “No, he’d rather hear about the real reason you compensate with that huge staff, Carson.”

            Carson blinked at him.  “Excuse me?”

            “Needledick the Bug Fucker!”

            “You two are like an old married couple!” Adam complained.

            Both warlocks immediately took offense.  “We are platonic life partners!” Usher declared.  “Partners in life and magic.  Nothing else!  We don’t need another rumor like that one spreading through the Warlock Council.  Last time was a nightmare!”

            Carson cleared his throat.  “Anyway!  The other binding point had to be one of the most powerful items in existence.  We chose something that angels were personally invested in to further seal the deal – a human soul!”

            “So why did you pick me?” Adam asked.  “Because Blake was assigned to me?”

            “We never picked you!” Usher exclaimed.  “Why the hell would we use some guy we never met and had no way to control as a binding point for the biggest capture we’ve ever done?  No, you were a complete accident!”

            “What?”

            “We had a coma patient in a nursing home all picked out,” Usher explained.  “Not going anywhere, no whining or making demands, not wanting a salary and retainer, you get the idea.  You were never supposed to be involved.  We didn’t know you were until we did a divination to find out where the other anchor was and got your name!”

            “We are really very sorry about your car and your apartment, Mr. Levine,” Carson apologized.  “Like Usher said, you were never supposed to be involved.  Summoning an angel requires a huge amount of effort and preparation, sacrifices, and hours of complicated spellcasting.  That’s why we couldn’t just summon it back until now.  But in the end, all we did was lay a trap and wait for something to fly in.”  He indicated Blake.  “Then it showed up, and the fight was on.”

            “We knocked it out of the sky, and I got it bound to my staff,” Usher explained.  “That locked it in human form, but it was still fighting.  We barely managed to latch the second spell onto it before it took off again.  So I jolted it with everything I could give it...”

            “…And that’s why it ended up smashing your car and destroying your apartment,” Carson explained.  His voice had gone gentle.  “I’m sorry, Mr. Levine.  I know how badly, how very badly, you want to believe that this angel came for you.  But it isn’t true.  It never came for you.  It was just your bad luck that you happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, and when we brought it down, it landed on your car.”

            “You never came for me?”  Adam’s voice was small as he looked at Blake.  He heard something, a distant rumble of thunder, and wasn’t sure if it was real or simply the storm raging in his heart.  “You never were my guardian angel?  It was all just… an accident?”

            “Ok, I feel really bad now,” Usher sighed.

            “I know, it’s like telling a kid there’s no Santa Claus, isn’t it?” Carson agreed.  “Mr. Levine, words cannot express how deeply sorry we really are.”

            “Yeah, for real, man!  We’ve been around for a long time, we got plenty of money.  We have every intention of paying for the damages we caused.  I know it doesn’t help with what you must be feeling right now, but it’s the least we can do.”

            “That, and get you free from that binding spell,” Carson said.  “That was probably the worst thing, because that’s the reason it’s stayed with you.  You see, once we knocked the angel down that second time, naturally, we chased after it.  But we couldn’t find it.  And meanwhile, the end of that second binding spell was flailing around, interfering with the first one.  We couldn’t track it, couldn’t control it, the damned messenger was shifting all the control it could into the second bind and it wasn’t attached to anything!  But of course, it was going to attach to something sooner or later.  The angel was trapped in human form and we knew it couldn’t have much juice left, but it managed to avoid us long enough to…”

            “…To latch that second spell onto me,” Adam finished.  His eyes were locked on Blake, but the angel refused to meet them.  “That’s why you rescued me?  So you could put that binding spell on me and keep them from taking you?”

            “I saved you because you were crying!” Blake confessed.  His voice was quiet as he spoke, and his right arm gripped Adam even though Adam had let his arms drop from around his waist.  “You were trapped and frightened, and you were crying because you didn’t want to die like that.  So I helped you.  But then you gave me a hug and it felt so good!  I thought you wouldn’t hurt me like the warlocks did, so…”

            No one spoke.  Adam stood as he was, trembling.  “You were never there for me.  It was all an accident.  I don’t have any great purpose!  There’s no major part for me in any kind of divine plan!  I was just convenient, something you could use to latch a spell onto so you could keep yourself from being enslaved!”

            Blake looked at him now, the blue eyes filled with shame.  “You do have a part in the divine plan, Adam.  You have to believe that!  I put that spell on you because I thought I could get away, that if you didn’t know, you couldn’t keep me.  But I was hurt too much.  My head, I fell asleep?”

            “You passed out.”

            Blake nodded miserably.  “Then I was in the hospital and you came for me.  You were the only one who could help me, but I stayed with you because I wanted to!  I thought I could just escort you, keep you safe until I could find a way to get away from the spell.  But the more I was with you, the more I wanted to stay.  And then, when you said that to break a binding spell you have to break the focus?”  He shook his head.  “I can’t do it, Rockstar!  I won’t let anyone hurt you!”

            “So you’re really not my angel, and everything I believed about you, everything you let me believe, was all a lie,” Adam managed through numb lips.  “You learned how to lie, at least by omission, before you learned how to talk, didn’t you?  You son of a bitch.  You bastard!  You were never my angel, you just used me!”

            Blake’s arm tightened around Adam.  “No!  I will _always_ be your angel!  I love you, and I would die for you!”  Once again, the eyes went to the ground.  “But I’m not a guardian angel.  I tried to be, but I’m only a messenger.  I couldn’t be trapped, couldn’t let them take me when I had a mission!  So I did what I thought I had to do.”  Blake hung his head, and suddenly the big man looked very small.  “I lied to you, Adam, right from the start.  A guardian would never have put that spell on you.  I’m sorry.”

            “Ok, this is touching, and I’m totally crying on the inside, but we are wasting valuable time here,” Usher called.

            “Usher, you asshole, shut the hell up!” Carson snapped.  “The poor man is in a lot of pain!”

            “He’ll be in a hell of a lot more pain if we keep standing here and the mutts keep coming,” Usher pointed out.  He jerked on the gun, and Blake stumbled and gasped.  “Look, Levine, believe it or not, I really do feel horrible for you.  I’m just too macho to show it.  Now the shield is keeping humans from seeing or hearing anything going on here, but like I said, the mutts are starting to get thick out there.  So seeing as how you have the bulk of the control, if you will please come over here and let us use your end of this spell to drag this thing over and get it into the cage, we can end this.”

            “So you can’t just take him?” Adam asked.  “That’s why this whole time, you’ve been trying to get me to give him to you?”

            “Not with all the control it shifted to you, no,” Usher confirmed.  “You gotta give it to us.  Sorry, buddy, but we gotta use you for this.”

            “Give us the angel, Levine,” Carson agreed.  “Once we get it in the cage, we’ll get you back and I promise you, we’ll get that spell off of you.  Then this whole nightmare will be over!”

            Adam looked up at Blake, who looked back at him with eyes devoid of hope.  “What will you do with him?”

            “Well, the convention is Wednesday,” Carson explained.  “That gives us the weekend and Monday to lock it down properly, maybe even do a bit of training.  Then Tuesday we’ll head out.  Wednesday is the judging, Thursday the tournaments start, and by Friday, we should have won every prize there!”

            “You assholes seriously did all this for trophies?” Adam exclaimed, turning to face them.

            Usher sighed.  “Kid, we have been around for centuries.  Have you noticed?  No?  Well, the reason is that we keep a very low profile.  It’s the only way to keep the peasants from showing up with torches and pitchforks.  We don’t live in a big brooding castle, we live in a remodeled condo on the east side of the city.  And every year, a new crop of wanna-be warlocks is out there, thinking about challenging us for our territory!”

            “Only so many warlocks can be in the same place at the same time, with the available mutts,” Carson explained.  “Winning at conventions gets you access to powerful global networks, new spells, new ways to control bigger and badder mutts, more power, money, and most of all, recognition.  No one is stupid enough to challenge those who do well at conventions unless they are very powerful or very foolish.  And Usher and I were in the top rankings of every convention for the past century…”

            “…Until the fucking Canadians showed up with that fucking pit lord!” Usher spat.  “Those sons of bitches came flying down out of Montreal and the judges lost their shit.  Then came the tournament.  That thing rolled over our mutts like we were imp-summoning novices, those cocky bastards spread the word that we’d lost our touch and gone too complacent to be able to really pull the big mutts anymore, and it’s been nothing but trouble ever since!”

            “But not anymore.”  Carson smiled at Adam.  “Once we get this angel properly bound, we can release it from human form and it can access its powers and its weapon.  Then it will smack that pit lord right back to hell, along with anything else those bastards might be able to dredge up.  The L.A. warlocks have already called.  They saw our mutts out there when you left and figured out what we were doing, and they’re almost as excited as we are!  What are we doing with this angel?  We’re bringing respect back to the warlocks of America, that’s what we’re doing!”

            “Amen!”

            “If you need him, why the hell did you send your demons after him?” Adam wanted to know.  “Why did you fake that phone call to get us to go to L.A.?”

            “Because we couldn’t find the damned thing,” Usher sighed.  “Look, that’s more we need to apologize to you about.  While the angel stayed in human form and didn’t use its powers, we couldn’t track it and neither could the mutts.  But then it suddenly lit up!  We sent a mutt out after it, but somehow it lost it.”

            “So you didn’t push me out in front of that bus?” Adam asked.

            Usher and Carson looked horrified.  “What?  No!” Carson exclaimed.  “What kind of monsters do you think we are?”

            Adam chose not to answer that.  He’d moved slightly and slipped his hand into Blake’s.  Blake looked at him in surprise.  “Trust me,” Adam whispered without moving his lips.

            Blake squeezed his hand.

            “But that did give us the answer,” Usher was saying.  “We did some research on you, found out about your extended family.  We were, as you can imagine, not happy to find out that they were all clear across the continent, meaning the angel would be well out of our reach!  We knew we were taking a huge chance and might end up losing it and possibly you as well.  So we were very, very happy when it came flying in, carrying you!  Couldn’t get it to bring you here, so we had to use a mutt, and I see your arm’s hurt.  You really need an antibiotic for that.  The mutts aren’t exactly the cleanest things.”

            “Thanks,” Adam said dryly.  “Alright.  What do you need me to do?”

            “Just come over here,” Carson instructed.  “We need to stay by the cage.  If we get too close to the angel and it’s not near enough to the cage, well, I’d rather not get into a fight with it right now.  Come over to me, Levine, and I’ll channel the spell through you.”

            Adam gave Blake’s hand one last squeeze.  Then he came closer.

            Carson transferred his elaborate staff to his left hand and took hold of Adam’s arm with his right.  There was a tingling sensation, and suddenly Blake gasped as the chain on his right wrist grew taut as well.

            “Now we got it!” Usher sang.  “Alright, let’s drag it in!”

            “Just hold very still, Mr. Levine,” Carson instructed.  “This is going to take a bit of concentration and we can’t be distracted.  If it gets away from us again, it will be another week before we can summon it again!”

            “Good to know.”  Adam’s eyes were locked with Blake’s.  Blake was struggling again, fighting against the chains even as he looked back at Adam.  His eyes were full of fear, but there was trust there, as well.

            “Alright, Usher, start pulling.”

            “On three, one, two, three!”

            The chains began to steadily retract, dragging Blake forward.  “No!”  The angel strained with all his strength.  But his boots were sliding along the ground as he moved closer and closer to the warlocks and their cage.

            Adam stayed as he was, eyes locked with Blake’s, for a moment more.  And then he jerked free, reached over, grabbed Carson’s staff, and swung it with all his strength at Usher’s gun. 

            The weapon went flying, bounced once, slid, and passed outside of the edge of the glowing purple light.  The chains immediately went slack, sending Blake sprawling.  “You’re loose!” Adam yelled.  “Run, Blake!  Run!”

            “Not without you!” Blake yelled, scrambling back to his feet.  “I can’t leave you alone when we’re surrounded by demons!”

            “Oh, this has gone too far!” Carson yelled.  “Bad enough you broke the summons, but would you please look around you, Levine?  The angel is right!  Just outside of the range of my shield is an entire horde of pissed off mutts!”

            “And you just knocked my staff into them!” Usher wailed.  “The only place safe is with us, now!  You broke the fucking summon spell, Levine, but the instant you try to take off with our angel, the mutts will tear you and it apart!”

            Carson made a grab for his staff and Adam swung it at him.  The warlock dodged, wide-eyed, as the glowing crystal nearly hit him in the face.  “Careful!  You have no idea what you’re doing!  Dammit, you stupid peasant, children should not play with real weapons!”

            “Then back the fuck off!  We’re leaving, and I swear, if you ever come near either one of us again I will burn you both at a stake myself!”  As he spoke, Adam was rapidly backing towards Blake.  But as soon as he was a few feet from the SUV, the glowing purple crystal flickered.

            “You didn’t really think you could just take my staff and go, did you?” Carson asked calmly.  “You can’t use it, and the only other place that’s safe from the mutts is with the cage.  Give us the angel, Levine, and we’ll let bygones be bygones, get the spell off you, and we’ll all go our separate ways.”

            “Blake?” Adam called nervously.  “Can you use this thing?”

            “No!”

            “Oh, we are so fucked,” Adam groaned.  “Well, if that’s the case…?”

            Adam swung the staff with all his strength, slamming the crystal into the pavement.

            Instantly, the purple light vanished as the staff went dark.

            From all around, sensed rather than heard, came a howl of pain and fury as a wave of force flashed out.  For an instant, the demons around them were clearly visible, tumbling and flipping through the air, driven as if by a great explosion.

            And then a set of strong arms was around Adam.  Blake’s wings pounded at the air and they were off, racing through the momentarily-stunned demons in a desperate bid for freedom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, several people came close, especially Anamari who said Blake hesitated at the fire because he was processing his choices, but no one quite got it! And no one pushed Adam intentionally. Just more of his crazy luck, combined with doing a very foolish and dangerous thing of walking along the edge of the sidewalk in busy New York traffic. But boy, it looked suspicious, didn't it? ;)
> 
> Mr. Fun was pretty rocked by the revelations here. Even though he'd guessed Blake wasn't a guardian, he hadn't expected that his interaction with Adam came around the way it did. But he was very upset with Adam twice, first when he yelled at Blake ("Where do you get off?!") and then he went off on about a twenty-minute rant about how stupid it was of Adam to break the warlock's staff when it was the one thing holding the demons back. Also went off on the warlocks' motivation. "They did all this to win a fucking tournament?!!" Said he wants to shoot them with a bazooka.
> 
> Mr. Fun really gets into this story, doesn't he?


	28. Dies Irae

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blake and Adam must battle their way through a horde of demons in a desperate bid to escape

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warnings, mind the tags!
> 
> Song I used here, non-diegetic, is "Requiem: Dies Irae (Day of Wrath)" by Verdi. If you've never heard this before, you must listen as it is absolutely epic, and this one is even translated to English!  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cHw4GER-MiE

            At first, Adam thought they had a chance, that they’d gotten away and would be alright.  The explosion had sent the demons flying, giving Blake one quick shot to get through the ranks that surrounded them.  But when the first attack came, it was so fast that Adam wasn’t sure exactly what had happened.  He saw a shadow, heard Blake grunt, and they changed direction slightly.  But the second sent a spray of the glorious feathers in one of his wings flying, and the two of them tumbled wildly through the air for a bit before Blake regained control.

            Now Adam could see them, up close and personal.  They bore some resemblance to the pictures he’d seen, the long claws, the hooves on the fighter demons, the horns and the leathery wings.  But their faces were indescribable.  It was as if their features had somehow melted and then been reformed by a careless artist into something vaguely human, mostly monstrous, and altogether terrifying.  Their baleful red eyes stared after them, filled with hatred and bloodlust.  As he watched, a third dove towards them, forcing Blake to dodge quickly to avoid being struck again.

            Terrified, Adam looked at Blake’s injured wing.  A patch with no feathers bore the telltale mark of claws, and a silvery substance, like mercury, was oozing from the spot.  “We gotta get down, buddy!” Adam yelled.  “You’re already hurt and you can’t fight and carry me at the same time!”

            Blake was too busy dodging to respond.  The ride now was wilder than any roller coaster, worse than the worst turbulence Adam had ever experienced.  Time and time again, Blake was forced to change direction, tucking his wings to dive dangerously low until they were skimming the street itself, dodging and weaving among the moving vehicles.  Then they shot up into the sky and soared over the roofs of the massive skyscrapers.  And then they were flying among the buildings themselves, dashing around them.  At one point, they passed directly through an office building, as insubstantial as a passing breeze to stir paperwork slightly but otherwise leave no sign of their passing.

            But at every turn, the angel found himself blocked and hounded.  Once more, he was struck, this time on his other wing, and once again, he tumbled out of control for a moment in a spray of feathers.  The mighty wings beat frantically, rapidly regaining altitude, trying to dodge the snarling hunter that snapped at their heels.

            Adam kicked at the creature without thinking, and his foot connected with its grasping hand as it reached for Blake.  It yelped in surprise, fell back for a moment, and then immediately charged after them.  This time it was clearly going for Adam.  Adam kicked it again with all his strength.  His motorcycle boot impacted with its face, sending a satisfying jolt up his leg.  The demon yelped again and fell back, falling behind as Blake somehow managed more speed despite his injured wings.

            A group dove down from above and Blake gasped and hissed in pain as another hunter landed on his back, digging in its claws to ride the angel.  Adam tried to swing at it, but couldn’t reach.  Blake was holding him tightly with Adam’s back against his chest, leaving his own back unprotected.  “Blake!” Adam yelled, straining to reach the monster tearing into the angel.  “We gotta get that fucker off of you!”

            Snarling, Blake flipped over and tucked in his wings, going into a near freefall that dragged the creature along the side of a building.  Glass shattered in a straight line, and the hunter howled, finally releasing its prey.  Once again, Blake’s wings were beating freely.  But Adam could immediately see that the strength in them was reduced.  Blake was injured, and the pain of his wounds was sapping his speed.

            “We have to find a safe place!” Adam yelled.  “And we need to find it now!”

            _“Trying!”_

            Blake dove to street level again, flying just above the passing traffic.  And suddenly, Adam spotted a familiar vehicle.  The black SUV had been equipped with flashing lights and an emergency siren.  It tore through traffic after Blake and Adam.  “Shit!” Adam cursed.  “It’s the Friendly Neighborhood Warlocks!  How the hell are they tracking us?”

            _“Binding spell.  Their demons can see me, and if they got their other focus back, they can see me, too.”_

            “That’s how Usher knew what you were when he saw you at the hospital, because he had his fucking gun then!” Adam groaned.  “That is just some bullshit!  Even if we can get to a church, they can track us there and just wait us out!”

            _“I’m sorry.  I don’t know what to do!”_

            Adam’s phone rang.  Irritated, he grabbed it, knowing who it was.  “Leave us the fuck alone!”

            “Levine, you are going to get our angel _and_ yourself killed!”  Carson’s voice was calm and pleasant, but insistent.  “Can you see the mutts all around you?  And the angel is obviously injured!”

            “So fucking call them off!  Dammit!” Adam swore as a demon swooped past, claws swiping at his face.  Blake barely managed to dodge.

            “I’m flattered that you think so highly of us,” Carson said.  “We are, in fact, the most powerful warlocks in the city and this is all our territory.  But as I have mentioned several times, I can only control so many mutts at the same time.  Now that you’ve broken my staff, that number has significantly decreased until I can repair it.”

            “My heart bleeds for you, asshole!”

            “You still don’t understand, even though it should be obvious.  The only safe place in this city right now is with us.  If you’re thinking of going to a church or something, you should know that it will keep the mutts out, but not us.  We’d be very uncomfortable, I’ll admit.  We’re warlocks.  We sold our souls long ago and faith-based protection stings.  But we can camp out, wait until you’re exhausted, and then simply pick the both of you up and carry you out.  Honestly, if that angel takes many more hits like it’s been taking, we can probably just scoop it up off of the sidewalk.”

            As if to punctuate Carson’s point, Blake cried out in pain again as a demon slashed at one of his legs.  The angel kicked it back and was struck twice more in rapid succession by leaping hunters.  More silvery blood flowed, and Adam bit back a sob.  “Go to hell!” he yelled into the phone.

            “We will, in time.  But first, we are going to have that angel, Levine.  One way or another.”

            Adam hung up.  The phone immediately rang again, but he ignored it.

            He looked around desperately, and realized where he was.  “Blake, go that way,” he called, pointing to the right.  “I got an idea!  If we can get there, then there might be one place where we can get some help!”

            Once again, Blake was too busy weaving and dodging to respond.  Adam had no idea how many demons had joined in the chase, but when he glimpsed the pursuing pack during one of Blake’s wild maneuvers, it was dozens.

            Blake raced through two buildings in rapid succession, doing quick turns in each to try to throw off pursuit.  Then he abruptly landed with a jolt that made Adam’s teeth click together, closed his wings, crouched down and shoved Adam behind a dumpster.  “What are you doing?” Adam hissed.

            “We’re surrounded,” Blake replied.  “We’re finished.”

            The angel looked tired, hurt, and defeated.  He leaned heavily on the dumpster, and Adam’s heart sank.  “What do you mean?  It’s over?  They got us?”

            Blake nodded.  “They’re up there, and they forced me down.  There’s nowhere left to go.”  He hung his head.  “I’m sorry, Rockstar.  We’re trapped.”

            Adam obligingly squeezed himself back into the space behind the dumpster.  “You did the best you could, Big Country.  Can we hide here?” he whispered.

            “You, maybe,” Blake replied, looking serious.  “Me?”

            And then suddenly Blake vanished.

            Too stunned to move, Adam could only stare, blinking, at the spot where Blake had just been.  And then one of the walls suddenly cracked.  It glistened, a mercury-like substance appearing as something smashed into the bricks.  The dumpster next to him rang with a hollow thud, a dent appearing with more of the silvery liquid.  As Adam watched, the liquid changed color, going from silver to blood red as it slowly dripped its way to the ground.  _“Blake!”_ he screamed.  _“No!”_

            Before he realized it, Adam had jumped out of his hiding place, desperately searching for any sign of the angel.  All around him were signs of immense violence, unseen blows landing against the walls, the dumpster, and the street itself.  More and more the ominous silvery liquid appeared, turning red until the area around Adam was splattered with it.

            And then a heavy weight struck him in the chest, knocking him backwards into the dumpster.  Searing pain shot through him, originating from his chest where bloody wounds from the tips of unseen claws appeared through new holes in his shirt.  Gasping, he looked up, almost seeing the hunter that held him pressed against the dumpster.  “No, get off of me!  Blake, hang on!” 

            He swung wildly, fists flailing against nothing, battering the thing for all he was worth.  It snarled in annoyance and quickly caught both of his wrists with one hand.  The other hand grabbed Adam’s throat, pinning him against the dumpster by his neck and his arms.  Adam struggled and kicked frantically, cringing as the mouth opened, fangs coming closer.

            And suddenly he was jerked forward, the creature letting him go as something dragged it violently off of Adam.  Then Blake was there, one arm around Adam as the other threw the hunter who’d attacked him at a small group of demons charging forward.

            Blake had been badly beaten.  Silvery blood covered him, dripping from dozens of wounds.  His wings were torn and mangled, more silver now than white.  He leaned heavily on Adam, barely able to keep on his feet and panting in exhaustion as he looked up to where a horde of demons hissed and snarled, ready to pounce.

            Instantly, Adam was on the move, half-carrying the battered angel along with him as he ran.  “Hang on, Blake,” he called.  “Just hang on!  We’re close, baby, so close, just please hang on!  It’s just a few streets over!”

            Blake’s only answer was a grunt as he swung at yet another attacking demon.  Grimacing, he wrapped his arms around Adam.  And then once again, his battered wings opened.  They awkwardly beat the air, skimming over the ground as Blake pushed himself on, desperate for more speed.

            Adam could see the demons closing in, drawing near to their wounded prey, sensing the end of the chase.  The closest one leapt at them and Blake banked sharply.  He dodged the attack, but was unable to bite back a cry of pain as he overextended one wing and the quicksilver blood flowed freely.

            “There, Blake!” Adam screamed.  “Right there, dead ahead!”

            Blake fell rather than landed, sprawling heavily onto the sidewalk, wings dragging as they slid.  Adam sprang up and grabbed him, dragging him forward until they both collapsed in a heap of limbs and wings onto the stoop of a building.

            Adam looked up, terrified, as the demons approached.  They moved forward slowly, seeming to savor the moment of victory.  Adam clung to Blake.  “I love you!”

            _“I love you, too.  I’m sorry.”_

            “Don’t be.”  Adam held on, feeling Blake trying to cover him with his own battered body as the first hunter sprang forward for the kill.  Adam braced.

            He was completely unprepared when the demon was suddenly battered backwards by a massive, gleaming shield.

            Two women were standing, one on either side of the stoop where they lay.  One was Caucasian, her long blonde hair pulled back into a pony tail and her dark eyes full of fury.  The other was African American, her hair tied back with a scarf.  She looked just as angry as her counterpart.  Both were beautiful, and both were dressed in shining silver armor.  They carried shields made of the same material, and in their hands, each wielded a blazing, flaming sword.  As Adam watched, their wings stretched up, arcing high above their heads as the warrior women set themselves for battle.

            The fight began immediately.  Demons pounded against the shields and armor of the two guardians, trying to reach the pair on the stoop, only to be hacked apart by the blindingly fast movements of the swords.  Black ichor flew, drenching Adam and Blake as they lay on the stoop, painting the house and the street.  The women slashed and hacked their way through the attacking demons, cutting them down, driving them back until at last the attack faltered, demons drawing back, falling before them and finally fleeing.

            In moments, the street was empty.  Foul-smelling ichor was everywhere, yet there wasn’t a single stain on either of the two women or their equipment.  Their armor clanked softly as they returned and stood over the two on the stoop, looking down.

            Adam squirmed out from under Blake and helped him sit up.  He could hear the song of the two guardian angels now, calmer after their fight and somehow curious, but with a strong note of recrimination.  Their faces were set in identical frowns of disapproval.

            Blake raised his head, looked up at them, and gave a small cry.  His hand reached up towards them, his song imploring and the chain on his wrist dangling as his eyes pleaded for help.  Unsure of what to do, Adam let him go and stepped back, keeping one hand on Blake’s shoulder.

            The two warrior angels were still standing as they were, looking down at Blake.  They didn’t move, simply stood frowning down at their beaten brother.  As Adam watched, he saw the last faint hope vanish from the blue eyes.  Blake wilted, letting himself collapse once more down onto the stoop.  His head sank, and his eyes closed, a single glistening tear tracing its way down his cheek.

            Adam clenched his fist and snarled at the two impassive guardians.  “Why won’t you help him?” he yelled, not able to stop himself.  “He’s hurt, and he’s trapped!  You can see the chains on him, can’t you?  You can see how bad he is!  Why won’t any of you help him?”

            “Because they don’t have free will, it’s obviously not in the master plan, and you’ve made one hell of a racket out here!” a voice behind him called softly.  “Now stop yelling at the girls and get into the house!  You’ll be safe here, both of you.”

            Adam whirled around and stared in shock at the man in the opened doorway.  He was a rail thin elderly Caucasian man with a face full of deep wrinkles and a shock of white hair that stuck up in all directions.  He wore a white undershirt, saggy blue briefs, and slippers in the shape of cows.  “What?” Adam exclaimed.  “Blake’s wings are still out!  How can you see us?”

            “That’s one of the reasons I’ve got the girls.  You call yours Blake?  Mine are Gwen and Alicia.  And my name is Frank Henderson, and I wish I could say it’s a pleasure to meet you, but I assure you, I’m extremely pissed off at you both right now.  Now get your asses inside before someone calls the cops, thinking I’m senile out here talking to myself!”

            Adam hurried to help Blake up.  Blake grunted, his wings folded back and vanished, and suddenly the world returned to normal.  The dripping ichor that covered them and everything else was gone, as were the two warrior angels.  All there was was Blake, battered and bloody, struggling to stay upright.  Frank moved to assist, and Adam glanced at the door.

            They’d come to 616 73rd street, the home of the man with the two pretty ladies.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mr. Fun was on the edge of his seat for this one. Loved Blake fighting, but thought he was done for when he vanished after he tried to hide Adam. Said he did not expect that shield punk and loved the girls "putting a beat down" on the demons. Was upset that they wouldn't help Blake when he asked them, though. "That was heartbreaking!"


	29. Divine Mission

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blake must complete his divine mission, no matter what.

            “Not even half past noon on a Thursday, and already so much fuss!” Frank grumbled curmudgeonly.  “And me running around in my skivvies!  Can’t an old man sit around drinking beer, eating cold pizza, and watching TCM for one blasted day?”

            “Please, sir, Blake’s hurt real bad!” Adam urged.  “Can you help him?”

            “I can see that he’s hurt, boy!  I may be old, but it’s my bowels that aren’t working right, not my mind!”  The older man knelt down with a pop of joints and a burst of flatulence.  Ignoring both, he peered down at Blake and indicated his wrists.  “What the hell have you gotten yourself into, messenger?  How’d you end up tied into a human body with barbed wire?”

            “Barbed wire?  I see golden chains.”  Adam quickly started to explain about the warlocks and their binding spells.

            Frank waved a hand.  “Alright, alright, shut up, you had me at ‘warlocks.’  I should have guessed those two assholes were somehow involved.  So the angel is theirs, huh?”

            “What?  No!  They’re trying to capture him!”

            “Kind of looks like they succeeded.”  Frank indicated Blake’s wrists again.  “Two ties, huh?  You know one leads to you?”

            “Yes, Sir.”  Adam was eyeing Frank.  “The only other person outside of the warlocks who could see them was a little girl.  She saw stars, but she didn’t say anything about them going to me.”

            “She may not have been able to see that much,” Frank explained.  “The innocence of a child isn’t like what I’ve got, kid.  But you’ve got yourself a whole pack of trouble.  Daly and Raymond won’t come knocking on this door.  The girls made it very clear they were not welcome a while back, when I first came to this city.  So while you’re here, you’re safe enough.  But I don’t run a hospital ward for beat-down messengers stupid enough to get themselves caught by warlocks!”

            “Hey!” Adam was about to argue, but Blake was struggling to get up, and immediately drew Adam’s attention.  “Hey, Blake, what are you doing, buddy?  Just lie still.”

            “Mission,” Blake gasped.  “Let me go.  I have to complete my mission!”

            “Holy shit!” Frank exclaimed.  “He talks?  What the hell is going on here?”

            Adam frowned as he helped Blake sit up.  “Yes, he talks.  That surprised the warlocks, too.  You mean Gwen and Alicia don’t talk?  Not even telepathically?”

            “Tele…?”  Frank huffed.  “Boy, I have had my girls most of my life, and never, not once in all my years, have I ever heard a word from them.  Most of the time they just watch over me, don’t try to communicate with me or interact in any way at all.  But if they do have something to tell me, they get the point across clear enough with their song, or more frequently, some wicked nasty looks they’ve given me through the years.  But angels don’t talk unless they’re way high up on the totem pole.  We are talking archangel level here, son, and your Blake is only a messenger!  I think you better tell me a bit more about these warlocks…  After Blake here finishes his mission, that is, apparently.”

            Blake was struggling to his feet, pushing at Adam as Adam tried to gently prevent it.  “Let me go!  You said you would help me?”

            “I did, and I will, but Blake, you’re hurt bad!  You need to…”

            Blake pushed at Adam again.  “No!  Let me go!  I have to do this!”

            “Let him go, boy,” Frank ordered.  “Interfering with a heavenly messenger on a divine mission is not a good idea.  Whatever he’s got to do, it’s important.  So take your hands off of him unless you’re going to help him, got it?”

            “But he’s bleeding!”

            “No shit, Sherlock!  You think trying to push him back down is helping that?”  He started towards the other room.  “Let me get some clothes on.  Blake, is your mission near here?”

            “Yes,” Blake groaned, managing his feet with Adam’s reluctant assistance.

            “Good.  If I come with you, the girls will cover you while you do what you gotta do.”  He paused.  “I hope.”

            “You hope?” Adam called after the man as he disappeared into the other room.  “What do you mean, you hope?  They’re your guardian angels, right?  Isn’t protecting you their job?”

            “Yes, but there are limits.”  The door had closed, and the angel expert was yelling back through it.  “They’ll beat back a demon horde like the one you brought to my doorstep, but if some young street thug pulls a gun on me when I walk out for my morning stroll, they might not lift a finger.  Free will counts for a lot, and so does what is and is not part of the divine plan.  In the end, it’s not angels who make the real difference, boy, it’s human beings!”

            Adam really didn’t want to hear about the divine plan right now.  “I need to know Blake will be safe before I let him out,” he announced.

            “Before you what?  Did I hear you say before you _let_ him out?  Young man, you need to get your head out of your ass!  Blake is an angel and may lack the free will you and I have, but he isn’t your slave any more than you’re mine.  And after what he went through for you today, you need to stay out of his way and let him do what he needs to do!”

            “Let me go, Rockstar,” Blake said quietly.  “Please?”

            “I will.  I’m sorry,” Adam said quickly.  “I’m not thinking straight.  Of course, I’ll help you with whatever you need.”  He pressed a hasty kiss to Blake’s bruised cheek.  “I won’t leave you Big Country.  I promise.”

            Blake smiled, immediately wincing at the pain this caused him.  Adam ducked under Blake’s arm and helped him up, letting the angel lean on him like a crutch.  They’d made it to the door by the time Frank appeared and pushed past them, and a moment later, as they stepped out once more onto the stoop, Frank had pulled an ancient, sputtering Oldsmobile around front.

            Adam helped Blake into the passenger seat, carefully fastened the seat belt around him, and then scrambled into the back.  He left his hands off of Blake only long enough to fasten his own seatbelt.  Then he was clinging again, half afraid the angel would somehow vanish if he let go.  “Tell us where to go, buddy,” he urged.

            Blake pointed.  Frank nodded, and the car was in motion.

            Adam anxiously clung to Blake’s arm.  His head pounded in time with his heart as he anxiously scanned, flinching at every moving shadow.  He sternly told himself that this was Blake’s choice and he needed to support it.  But it was all he could do to keep from demanding that Frank stop the car and take Blake somewhere, anywhere, that the demons and warlocks couldn’t touch him.  “Frank, can you see demons, too?” he asked.  “Any out there?”

            “I imagine they’re around, but the girls are with us,” Frank explained.  “They tend to lie low when those lovelies are about.  I’m actually more concerned about the two assholes following us in the SUV, to be honest.”

            Adam whipped his head around and groaned, clutching so tightly to Blake’s arm that the angel winced.  “Dammit!” Adam yelled.  “Why won’t they just leave us alone?  Wait, I thought you said they were afraid of the girls?”

            “Oh, they are, but the girls only keep them out of my house.  They can go wherever they want on the street, as long as they don’t threaten me with their spells or their demons.  We have an understanding.”

            Adam gawked at him.  “An understanding?  With warlocks?”

            “Boy, I don’t imagine I’m any happier about having two warlocks in my neighborhood than you are, but there’s something you haven’t considered,” Frank snapped, irritated.  “Those two have been here for a long time.  They’re warlocks, with all the demon summoning and occasional human sacrificing that goes along with that…”

            _“Human sacrificing?”_   Adam’s eyes were huge.

            “…But there are always more ready and waiting to take their place,” Frank continued as though Adam hadn’t interrupted.  “I played my own small role in driving out the last ones who claimed this territory.  It wasn’t easy, and I lost friends.  And it seemed like less than a week before Frick and Frack back there moved in!  But they keep to themselves.  They don’t terrorize the neighborhood the way the last ones did.  They keep their pets under control, and the sacrifices mostly animal and to a bare minimum.  They’re powerful and stable, and because of that, they keep the hotheads that only want to cause trouble out.  Or they did.  Recently, there’s been a lot more trouble and the three of us have had words, but apparently that isn’t their fault.  Something about Canadians?”

            “I heard the story,” Adam growled.  “They lost a tournament to some warlocks from Montreal.  That’s why they want Blake, so they use him to can win this tournament next week and get their reputation back.”

            “Then it might be worth considering giving him to them.”

            Adam stared at him, open mouthed.

            “We’ll discuss it later,” Frank declared.  “Blake, this is the right direction?”

            Blake hadn’t said a word through this entire exchange.  He simply watched out the window, and now he held up a hand.  “Stop.”

            Frank pulled over and Blake began undoing his seatbelt.  Adam was out of the car in a flash, helping Blake out even as he eyed the two warlocks. 

            Usher and Carson had pulled over behind Frank’s ancient car and were getting out as well.  They smiled pleasantly as they approached.  “Good afternoon!”

            “Stay away from us,” Adam warned.  “I’m warning you, leave us alone!”

            “Don’t be rude, kid,” Frank retorted.  He moved until he was standing between the warlocks and Blake and Adam.  “Gentlemen, is there something I can do for you?”

            “You could convince your young friend to give us the angel,” Carson replied.

            Frank chuckled.  “Haven’t you had enough of angels?  Usher, did the hearing ever come back in your left ear?”

            “Eventually,” Usher replied, ruefully rubbing at his ear.  “I had to use a restoration spell to regenerate my eardrum.  How’s your bowels?”

            “Irritable and sluggish.  I haven’t had a proper shit for three days!”

            “Oh, Frank, that’s awful!  Do you need a tonic?”

            “I wouldn’t be adverse, so long as there’s nothing unsavory in it?”

            “Oh please!  We’ll have something delivered.”

            “I’d appreciate that.”

            The three continued to chat about nonsense like old friends.  Adam forced himself to ignore them, focusing on Blake as the angel climbed painfully out of the car.  Not shoving him back in and taking off was the hardest thing Adam had ever done.  “Show me what to do, Blake,” he urged.  “How can I help you?”

            Blake pointed ahead, to the street.  “There.  Help me there.”

            Adam checked for traffic and supported Blake as the angel limped into the street.  Then he gently eased the big man down.  Blake went to his knees and stared for a long moment at a spot on the pavement.  Meanwhile, cars began to appear, giving the two irritated looks as they swerved around them.  When two cars approached from opposite directions, the one on their side had to wait, earning the pair an obscene gesture that Adam returned.  And still Blake didn’t move.  His eyes were fixed on the spot of pavement, his fists clenched at his side.

            Adam bent down and wrapped his arms around Blake’s neck.  “Blake?” he began.  “Whatever you need to do, it’s time, alright?  If you don’t do it now, I don’t know if the warlocks are going to give you another chance!”

            “I know.”  Blake’s face was twisted into a bitter grimace.  He clung for a moment to Adam’s arms, as if drawing strength.  He took a deep breath, seemed to set himself, and then leaned forward until his right hand was flat against the pavement.  His eyes closed and his head bowed, focusing.

            Adam couldn’t help but feel a bit excited as he stayed where he was, kneeling next to Blake with his arms around him as the angel did whatever mysterious mission it was that had sent him to Earth in the first place.  Whatever it was, it was so important that Blake hadn’t been able to refuse it.  He’d risked both of their lives, been badly injured fighting demons, and now risked being captured once more by the warlocks.  Adam couldn’t imagine anything that important.  He watched eagerly, sensing Blake drawing on his powers, and waited.

            But nothing happened.

            A moment later, Blake seemed to sigh and sag.  He sat up with a groan of pain and leaned heavily on Adam.  “Finished.”

            Adam looked at the pavement in disbelief.  Where Blake’s hand had been, there was now a small crack, about four inches long and not even half an inch wide.  It wouldn’t even be noticed driving over it in a car.  He looked from the crack to Blake and back.  “That’s it?” he asked.  “God sent you out here to crack the pavement?”

            Blake nodded wearily.  “Yes.”

            “You gotta be shitting me!  It’s fucking New York in a residential area!  The pavement does not need an angel to crack it.  There’s one twice that size not even three feet away from you!”

            “Oh, is it done with its all-important divine mission now?” Usher called.  “Good, now give it to us, Levine.”

            Adam looked back in alarm.  Frank was frowning, but he’d moved to lean against the side of his car, doing nothing to impede the two warlocks as they approached.  Usher’s hand was in his pocket, where the outline of the gun could be seen.  Carson carried an elaborate, decorated cane with a round crystal globe at the top.  This he lifted as he approached the two kneeling in the street.  He carefully extended it, using the globe to lift Blake’s chin.  “Hello, gorgeous,” he called softly as their eyes met.  “You ready to come in?  All done fighting now?”

            In Adam’s arms, Blake shuddered.  He turned his head away from Carson, looking back down at the pavement.  Then he nodded.

            “No.  No!”  Adam jumped up and shoved at Carson.  “Why am I the only one who sees how wrong this is?  You can’t just take him away, shut him up in a cage and make him a gladiator to fight Canadian pit lords!  Leave him alone!”

            “You really are a very trying person, Mr. Levine,” Carson sighed.  “It is time to give us the angel.  Even it agrees with that now!”

            “Look at it, Levine,” Usher urged.  “It’s been almost literally driven into the ground!  It’s not going to get any more divine missions as long as it’s bound to human form, and it just completed its last one.  It’s been beaten half to death and it no longer has any meaning or purpose in its existence.  Now it’s ours!  Give us the angel, and we’ll get it healed up and give it some meaning again.  We can turn it into the best fighter this century!  Considering what it did bound to human form, I can only imagine how powerful it’s going to be once it’s properly contained and at full power!”  He snickered.  “It’s certainly a life of a lot more meaning and purpose than cracking pavements, don’t you think?  Have you ever heard of a sillier divine mission?”

            “Fuck you!”  Adam turned back to Blake and threw his arms around the battered angel.  “Blake, please, we made it all this way, and you completed your mission!  Please don’t give up now!”

            “Adam?”  Blake’s voice was barely a whisper.  “It’s finished.  Let them have me.”

            “No!”  Adam tightened his grip, heedless of the way Blake hissed in pain as he did so.  “Blake, if you don’t have a divine mission anymore, then you have free will, completely!  You don’t really want to go with these goons, do you?  Do you really want to be forced to fight pit lords at warlock tournaments?”

            “No, but…”

            “No buts!  You locked the strongest binding spell onto me, and that gave me the control.  They can’t take you unless I give you to them, and I’m saying no!”  He glared up at the two frustrated warlocks.  “You hear me?  I said no!  _No!”_

            Usher narrowed his eyes and took a step forward.  But Carson held out his arm to stop him.  “Mr. Levine, you are making a mistake,” he said calmly.  “It’s a mistake I fully believe you will come to regret.  But your entire world got turned upside-down today.  So, to prove that we aren’t the monsters you’re determined to believe we are, I propose a compromise.”

            “What?” Usher exclaimed.  “Carson, just grab the fucking angel and I’ll take Levine, we’ll toss them both into the SUV…”

            “Enough, Usher!” Carson snapped.  “Look at it.  It’s barely able to stay upright on its knees!  What can we do with it now?  It’s gotta heal before it’s of any use to anyone.  So here’s what I propose.  Keep our angel for now, Levine.  Do what you can for it, and if it survives, keep it until Sunday and let it heal.  Since it talks, have a nice long talk with it about why it tricked you and put you through all the hell you have gone through these past few days…”

            “Largely thanks to you!”

            “…After it chose to anchor a binding spell onto you,” Carson finished smoothly.  “Without your knowledge or consent!  Talk to it about all the lies it told you and how it very obviously manipulated you just so it could get out here to crack the pavement!  Listen to it try to explain to you exactly how that end justified the means.  And then make a decision.”  He shook his head.  “Honestly, this is a no brainer.  What purpose does an angel have with no divine guidance?  There’s no place in this world for it except with us!”

            “And what if Blake decides he wants to stay with me?” Adam challenged.  “I know angels in human form can choose to continue to live their lives as humans!  That’s an option for him to consider, instead of becoming your fighting slave!”

            “Fine,” Usher called.  “We’ll give you until Sunday night at sunset, like my partner suggested.  You find out if this thing can really live as a human.  If, before the sun sets this coming Sunday evening, it doesn’t use its powers _at all for any reason_ , then we’ll renounce our claim to it and it belongs to you.”

            “You mean he’s a free man!” Adam corrected.  “He doesn’t belong to anyone.”

            “As you wish.  But if it does?” Carson warned.  “If it so much as flickers its wings or makes any more cracks in the pavement?  It’s ours, and you agree to give it to us immediately.”

            Adam glanced at Blake.  Blake’s eyes had closed and he was leaning heavily against him.  Adam wasn’t sure if he was still conscious, but somehow he doubted it.  He bit his lip, thinking hard, and glanced at Frank.  Frank only looked back at him.  The older man’s face looked concerned, but he offered nothing.

            Adam was on his own.

            He licked his lips and nodded.  “Alright.  I’ll keep him, let him heal, and we’ll talk about what’s happened between us.  You guys leave him alone until sunset on this coming Sunday night.  Until then, he has to live as a human, and he can’t use his powers for any reason.”

            “And if it does, then you agree to immediately give it to us.  This contract counts as your direct order for the angel to immediately come to us and allow itself to be contained in the cage we’ve prepared for it,” Carson finished.  “That’s right,” he said as he noted Adam’s grimace.  “You think we didn’t know that it transferred so much control into your end of the binding spell that it’s given you the ability to command it?  That’s the contract we’re offering.”

            “And I suppose we’re signing in blood?” Adam snapped.

            Carson shrugged.  “Naturally.”  He swung his cane almost negligently.  It flashed once and there was a loud squawk from above.  A pigeon fell heavily into the street, and suddenly the crystal globe on Carson’s cane was filled with blood red swirling fluid.  He reached over for a rolled piece of parchment Usher had just pulled out of nowhere and waved the cane slowly over it.  Bit by bit, the swirling red fluid drained out as blood red words appeared on the parchment, glowed, and then faded, leaving only black writing and a faint coppery burning smell.  Then he held the contract out to Adam.  “Read carefully, and when you’re ready to sign, let me know.”

            Adam gingerly took the contract.  He hoped his face didn’t show how rattled he was.  The way Carson had casually used his magic to kill the bird had scared the shit out of him.  Until then, despite everything that had happened, the idea that the two were capable of doing real, malevolent magic had almost seemed abstract.  But the dead bird lying in the street as irritated drivers continued to maneuver around them drove the point home.  Frank, it seemed, was right.  Usher had hurt Blake by “jolting” him with his gun shaped staff, but so far, neither of the two warlocks had done either of them any real physical harm.  The bird was positive proof that they were perfectly capable of doing so.  Maybe the two really were the best choice among the general evil of warlocks?

            That still didn’t mean Adam was going to hand Blake over without a fight.  But he was very cautious as he read over the contract.  It said exactly what it was supposed to.  Adam read it over three times, looking carefully for any tricks, but saw nothing they hadn’t already discussed.  He nodded, still holding onto Blake with one hand.  “Alright.  Um, how do I…?”

            “Here, give me the contract,” Carson offered.  “Now all you have to do is touch the globe of this staff and say ‘I agree to the terms of the contract.’  Don’t even need to prick your finger.”

            Adam handed the contract over and gingerly touched the globe.  “I agree to the terms of the contract.”  He winced, expecting something, he wasn’t sure what.  But the only thing that happened was that the rest of the red fluid drained out of the globe, and Adam’s name appeared in blood red on the contract next to Usher and Carson’s.  Just as before, it blazed for a moment and then only black remained.

            Carson gave the parchment a tug, and suddenly he was holding a matching set.  He handed one to Adam.  “Your copy,” he declared as Adam gingerly took it.

            “I think he thought he was about to have his throat slit,” Usher commented, taking their copy of the contract and making it disappear.

            “I wouldn’t have put it past some of your buddies,” Frank called.  He sounded sad.  “Now how about you two make yourselves useful and help us get Blake back into the car?  I think he passed out a bit ago.”

            “Yes, I noticed that myself,” Carson agreed, looking uncertain.  “But we don’t generally do that sort of manual labor…”

            “I got it!”  Usher moved forward and scooped Blake up.  “Damn, it’s a big son of a bitch, isn’t it?” he called as Blake dangled, head lolled back.  “How the hell are you going to get it into your house, old man?”

            “I love it when a two hundred year old warlock calls me an old man,” Frank grumbled, opening the door.  “Let me worry about the house.  Just get him into the car here.”

            And just like that, the strength-enhanced warlock helped safely buckle a battered, unconscious angel into a car protected by two guardian angels.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mr. Fun was glad Frank told Adam off about trying to control Blake, as that was overdue. Says he thinks the warlocks are going to cheat somehow, but said he would have probably signed the contract too (and then stocked up on holy spells, Mr. Fun is a nerd as well).


	30. The Price of Power

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Given a reprieve, Adam learns some surprising things about Frank. Meanwhile, Blake is not doing well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The rant Adam relays from Uncle Eli here I copy/pasted directly from Mr. Fun's rant after I read him that chapter. He says he is not amused. I am!

            “Leesha, stop crying, ok baby?” Adam soothed.  “I told you, I’m ok!  Blake wasn’t taking me to heaven, he was just helping me go see my parents.  They’re in California.  Remember how I showed you California on the map?”

            Leesha hiccupped.  “Yes.  So you’re not calling from heaven?”

            “No, I’m with the man with the two pretty ladies.”  He smiled into the phone, looking fondly at the image of the tearful little girl.  “I’ll come and see you as soon as I can.  But right now, Blake’s really sick and I have to try to make him better.”

            “Ok!”  Apparently, this was all Leesha needed to hear.  “You want to talk to my daddy again?”

            “Yes, please, and we can turn off Facetime.  Your daddy isn’t pretty like you are.”

            That made her giggle as she turned off the camera.  Adam smiled.  In retrospect, he should have realized what Leesha would think if she happened to see Blake carrying him away last night.  He’d called his parents and Uncle Eli, and then Pharrell.  And he’d just spent the last twenty minutes convincing the traumatized little girl that he hadn’t died.

            “Thanks, man,” Pharrell called, returning to the phone.  “She was so upset she couldn’t even go to school today.  Jenny had to call off sick and stay home with her.  We just could not convince her you weren’t in heaven, buddy.”

            “Aw, I’m sorry, man!”

            “Zero perspiration.  Ok, so tell me all the details.”

            Adam told Pharrell everything that had happened since he’d called the night before, and the contract with the warlocks.  “Before you say anything, let me assure you that Uncle Eli already handed me my own ass on a silver platter,” he said.  “He bitched at me for twenty minutes over breaking Carson’s staff.  Said he was going to hack my World of Warcraft account, steal all my stuff, delete my characters, and then create new ones cleverly named to describe how stupid I am.  He also said that if I had played a real character instead of power leveling through an overpowered paladin and actually read the quests and storylines, I’d have known better than to just break a magical artifact.  Oddly enough, he didn’t have any valid suggestion for what else he thought I should have done with that staff beyond ‘shove it up their ass.’  Interesting.”

            “Damn, you come by nerd honestly, don’t you, Adam?”

            “This, from a guy who believes every wild conspiracy theory that comes down the pipe?”

            “I’ve got an open mind, asshole.  So now you’ve signed a contract in pigeon blood, and if Blake uses his powers between now and sunset Sunday night, then you just hand him over without a fight?”

            Adam bristled.  “Hey!  What the hell would you have done?”

            “The same damned thing, buddy.  I just hope you really understand what you just did and you can live with it.  I mean, on the surface it looks great.  Just keep Blake’s holy mojo under wraps for a few days and he’s free to do what he wants for the first time in however long he’s been in existence.  But are you ready for that, Adam?”

            “What do you mean?”

            “I mean, he’s been alive, in all likelihood, since the dawn of time.  And all his life, he’s always had missions, work to do that he had no choice in, but he’s obviously very used to doing.  Adam, as soon as he finished that last mission, he gave up and was ready to let the warlocks take him.  That happened because he saw no further purpose to his life.”

            “Yeah, I know,” Adam sighed.  “But he’s been living as a human for a week now…”

            “…During which, he solved every major problem in your life and then wanted to leave you behind so he could go back and, apparently, vandalize the street.  All of those things qualify as missions an angel could do.  But now?”  Pharrell paused.  “Let me put it to you like this.  Adam, when Jenny and I got married and had our boys, you know how hard it was for us.  We were both working and taking care of twin babies and taking classes, and it was, bar none, the toughest time of my life.  There were days when it was all I could do to get up in the morning and keep going, keep pushing.  But then I would look at my lady and at my beautiful sons, and I knew what I was doing it all for.  They were my reason for living, Adam.  You said Blake’s in pretty bad shape?”

            “Yeah.”  Adam closed his eyes.  “He got hurt bad, Pharrell.  Frank called some people he knows and we carried him into the house.  The demons can’t touch him with the guardian angels on patrol and the warlocks agreed to back off of him until Sunday, so he’s safe enough that way.  And he came back around shortly after we got him into the house and hasn’t passed out again since.  But he’s in a lot of pain, he keeps just kind of staring off into space, he’s delusional, he’s got a high fever…”  Adam swallowed hard.  “The doctor Frank knows has him on IVs.  But it’s bad, Pharrell.  Real bad.”

            “Here’s the thing.  Blake needs a reason to pull through all this.  Right now, the choices he can see ahead of him probably don’t look real appealing no matter what.  But we both know you have a reason for him to stay, Adam.”

            “Pharrell, I cannot put that on him right now!” Adam protested.  “He’s got too much to deal with as it is!”

            “Adam, I hear you.  But I also hear what you’re not letting yourself say.  If Blake’s as bad as what I’m hearing in your voice?  Then you may not have another chance to tell him, ok?”

            “Yeah.”  Adam cleared his throat.  “I’m gonna go check in on him, ok?  If anything changes, I’ll call you.  Otherwise, I’ll call you tomorrow.”

            Hanging up, Adam rose and moved into Frank’s spare bedroom.

            The Latino doctor with all the piercings and gang tattoos that Frank had called was still there, leaning over Blake.  When Adam approached, he moved to speak with him outside of the room.  “His fever is still pretty high, although it’s down now,” he reported.  “A hundred and two is better than a hundred and three, but not by much.  The antibiotics seem to be helping.  I just wish he’d let me sedate him.”

            “He’s not used to sleeping,” Adam explained.

            “I know, I get it, angels don’t sleep.  You really seem determined that no one is going to believe what he is, aren’t you?  But hey, you don’t know Frank.”

            “What I know about Frank right now I honestly don’t care for,” Adam grumbled.

            “That’s because you don’t know shit about him.”

            The doctor, Adam couldn’t remember his name, had been just like the other men who had come to assist when Frank called.  They all looked rough, as if they’d only recently come in off the streets.  Every one of them had gang tattoos, piercings, and suspicious scars.  And every one of them looked at Frank in awe and did whatever he asked without question.  Adam had been astounded when Frank had casually announced that Blake was an angel who had gotten the worst of a battle with demons and was currently locked in human form.  But there hadn’t been a single question raised.  Instead, the men had put together a makeshift hospital room, started an IV, and gone out for supplies.  Now, only this doctor remained.

            “You know, I saw the way you were looking at us,” the doctor called.  “We all did.  But don’t worry, we’re used to it.  We used to be exactly what most of us still look like.  Gang bangers.  Toughest sons of bitches on the streets.  Until Frank came along and showed us a better way.  That old bastard took a bullet for me once, did you know that?”

            Adam blinked.  “No, I didn’t!  But he’s got…?”

            “The girls, yes, I know.  And apparently, it wasn’t in the divine plan for them to block that bullet, so Frank did it with his chest.  He’s walking around missing part of one lung because of it, and I went to school and came out a doctor.  Because he put it on the line for me.”

            “That’s amazing, it really is,” Adam said patiently.  “But let’s face it.  The man can see angels!  That’s beyond incredible.”

            “No it isn’t,” the doctor insisted.  “Frank’s never met anyone else in his life with his ability.  And the girls have helped him out of more than one scrape, and directed him to help others.  But in the end, it has always been Frank, and Frank alone, who really put it out there.  Do you have any idea how many people he’s put it on the line for?  What he’s given up in his life?” 

            When Adam shook his head, the young doctor began to count on his fingers.  “He left his girl behind when he got drafted for the war.  And he stayed over there to help when everyone pulled out, so she married someone else.  Then he came back home and tried to go to school, but had to give that up because he felt called to help his fellow vets.  He had a chance to start over with another woman and a good job, and he gave them both up to come out onto the streets and reach punks like me.  In other words, that man has done nothing his entire life except sacrifice to help others.  And because of that, a worthless thug like me was spared a bullet, became a doctor, and has gone on to help keep kids from growing up to become just what I was.”

            His dark eyes looked Adam up and down.  “You look pretty white collar to me, Levine.  What’s the worst thing that happened to you before now?  You get passed over for a promotion?  You remember that big guy in here earlier with the Mohawk?  Frank gave him a kidney, and now he runs a youth outlook center.  That old bastard lives primarily on beer and pizza because he donates so much to that same center, and the only thing you know about him?  The only thing that interests you?  Is the fact that he can see angels and has a couple guarding him.  Considering what’s lying in the other room there, I get that.  It’s probably real easy for you to fixate on the divine element right now.  But you gotta stop thinking about angels.  Yes, Frank can see angels and demons, and that’s pretty cool.  But Levine, that is the _least_ important thing about that man!  It’s not the fact that he can see angels or that he has the girls that makes him special.  It’s Frank himself!”

            Adam didn’t know what to say.

            “Listen,” the doctor sighed.  “It’s pretty plain for anyone to see that Blake is important to you, and for way more than just being an angel.  You love him, don’t you?”

            Adam nodded.  “I fell in love with Blake before I knew he was an angel.  And that’s why I get what you’re saying.  It’s the man I love, not the angel.  Whatever else happened, that hasn’t changed.  He wasn’t completely honest with me, and that’s caused a big rift between us.  We need to talk, just…  I need him to get through this.”

            “And what he needs more than anything else is sleep.”  The doctor took Adam’s arm.  “He’s an angel, but he’s in a human body right now.  If he can let himself sleep, the angel part of him has a good chance of healing the human part, and it wouldn’t be him using any powers.  That’s just the nature of what he is.  But he won’t let himself sleep.  I think he’s afraid that if he does, he won’t wake up.”  He shook his head.  “The fact is, he’s probably right.  He’s got six broken ribs, at least three fractures in his right hand and two in his left, a sprained ankle, five deep lacerations that I had to clean out and stitch, and God only knows how much internal damage.  He’s covered with bruises and cuts from head to toe, and I understand he had head trauma from a week ago?  Well, that’s certainly not improved from this!  I know in the movies doctors always give these precise chances and time estimates.  And I tell all my patients and their families that it’s bullshit, that no one but God knows when someone’s time will come or what their chances are of survival are.  But I’ll tell you this.  I’d say he’s got a less than forty percent chance of still being with us when morning comes.  If he doesn’t let himself sleep?  Then his chances are pretty much zero.  He won’t survive the night.”

            Adam felt as though he’d been hollowed out and then filled back up with ice.  His head pounded and he rubbed at his temples, trying to think.  “Can’t you sedate him in the IV or something?”

            “Not without his consent, and the only time he was coherent enough for me to ask him, he refused.  Just shook his head no.  I know you said he can talk, but I haven’t heard it.  The only thing he’s said, and it was just when he was really deep in the delirium, is ‘Rockstar.’  That mean anything to you?”

            Adam closed his eyes for a moment.  “Yeah.  Can I stay with him for a while?”

            “Stay all night.”  He jerked a thumb towards the couch.  “That’s where I’ll be tonight.  If the IV beeps or anything, I’ll come in.  Otherwise, call if you need me.  Oh, and take this.  It’s his pain medicine, if you can get it into him.  He’s in a hell of a lot of pain, but he won’t take anything.  I think he thinks it’ll knock him out.”

            Adam nodded.  “Thank you.”

            “No problem.  Go see him.  And if you got anything to say to him, now’s the time.”

            Adam nodded.  He started towards the door, but then he paused.  “What happens to an angel when it dies?” he asked.

            The doctor shook his head.  “Honestly, Levine?  I don’t know if even the angels know that.  Just try not to think about it, ok?  The biggest thing is convincing him to go to sleep.”

            “And how do I do that?”

            “Sing him a lullaby,” the doctor replied with a shrug.  Then he climbed onto the couch and turned his back to Adam.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mr. Fun said it was cool to learn more about Frank, and why he has guardians. Said he figured there was more to Frank than the fact he could see angels. Says Adam needs to get in there and finally talk to Blake now and resolve all this crap between them. Thinks Adam actually should sing Blake an lullaby.


	31. The Darkest Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Knowing that Blake may not survive the night, Adam has one last chance to patch things up between them

            The thunder Adam had heard this morning had morphed into a full-fledged thunderstorm when Adam returned to the room.  Wind whipped rain against the window next to the bed where Blake lay, creating shadows on his face that looked like tears in the light from the street.  The angel lay in the bed with the covers drawn to his bare chest.  His ribs had been wrapped, his wounds cleaned and sutured and dressed.  Adam had carefully washed off the dried blood, shaved his face, and combed his hair.  An IV in his wrist dumped fluid and medications into his blood, fighting back the infection that still raged in his body.

            They’d done everything they could for him.  And it still might not be enough.

            Blake’s face was to the wall, and he looked so still and pale when Adam came in that for a moment he panicked, thinking Blake had died.  But when Adam’s breath hitched in his throat, Blake turned his weary, pain-filled eyes towards him and Adam’s knees nearly gave out in relief.  “Hey, buddy,” he called cheerfully.  “Um, is it ok if I come in?”

            Blake battered face curved into a smile.  “Rockstar?” he whispered.

            “Yeah, it’s me, Big Country.”  Adam came closer, stood beside the bed and gently reached a hand towards Blake’s, giving it a squeeze.  “I got your pain pills,” he offered, displaying the bottle.  “I know it hurts.  If you take one of these, it won’t hurt as much?”

            Blake’s smile vanished.  He shook his head, and then turned his face away.

            “Alright,” Adam called, pocketing the pills.  “You don’t have to take them.  You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do.  And I’m sorry I ever tried to force you.  I never should have done that.  I had no right.”

            Silence.  Blake clung to Adam’s hand as he stood awkwardly next to the bed, not knowing what to say.  There was so much he wanted to tell Blake, but the words seemed to die on his tongue.  He didn’t know where to begin.

            “I can’t.”

            Blake’s voice had been so quiet and unexpected that for a moment, Adam didn’t register it.  He blinked.  “Huh?  You can’t what?”

            “Forget it.”

            “Oh.”  That was disappointing.  For a moment, it seemed like Blake was about to tell him something, and now he was being told to forget it.  But he could feel the heat of the fever that rose off of Blake as he held his hand.  The angel might simply be delusional again.  It was best not to press him.

            Alright, then.

            “Listen,” he began.  “What you did for me, when we thought my parents had been shot?  I want you to know how grateful I am.  You knew this would happen, that you’d end up just like this or captured or maybe both.  And you had to have known that I’d see that one of those chains went to me when we went home.  It was all going to start to unravel for you if you took me to L.A.  And yet, you never hesitated!  You took me out there, and you fought to protect me until we got to my parents’ place, and then you took me back and fought for me again.  And look at us, Blake.  I got a few cuts and bruises, some holes in my chest and a gash on my arm that they gave me antibiotics for and I’m not really any worse for the wear.  But you?  You risked everything, and you took the brunt of the punishment, and now…?”

            Silence.  Outside, thunder rolled in the distance.  The wind sent a fresh burst of rain against the window.  The water trickled down the glass as Blake watched.

            “I don’t understand why you did it,” Adam said at last.  “Did you just need another angelic mission, something you could do while you were escorting me?  Because that just doesn’t feel right somehow.  There was more to it.  What you did, you did on your own.  You did it because you care for me, Blake.  And I’m grateful, so grateful, for all that you’ve done.”

            And now Blake turned to face him again.  The blue eyes were expressionless as they looked up at Adam, but once more his lips curled into a smile.

            Adam smiled back, and then quickly looked away, unable to meet that gaze.  He shifted his weight from one foot to the other.  “I was wondering, is there anything I can do for you?”

            The smile grew softer.  “Hold me?”

            Adam stuttered.  “Sure, buddy!  Um…  How do I…?  Wait, no, don’t sit up!”

            Blake was pushing himself up on the bed, grimacing as he aggravated his wounds.  Then he indicated with his head for Adam to come behind him.

            Not wanting him to hurt himself any further, Adam quickly slipped in behind him.  He squirmed until he held Blake between his legs, the angel’s head resting against his chest.  One of the pillows went behind Adam’s back as it rested against the wall.  “How’s that?”

            Blake let himself sink back, resting against Adam’s chest.  His face looked unbelievably weary.

            “Blake?” Adam began.  “That doctor said you have a human body, but you’re still an angel inside.  He said that means your body can heal, but only if you let it.  He said the best thing you can do right now is sleep.  So, you need to, you know, let yourself go to sleep.”

            Blake didn’t answer.  His eyes remained opened, but his hands clutched at Adam’s until Adam wrapped his arms around him and gently held him.  “I’m afraid,” he whispered.

            It cut through Adam like a knife.  “Please don’t be!  You’re safe here.”

            “I don’t want to die like this.”

            He’d been hoping that Blake wasn’t aware of how bad he was, how poor his chances were.  But he knew.

            Of course he knew. 

            Adam took one of Blake’s hands and held it tightly.  “Blake, maybe you aren’t a guardian angel, but you sure as hell guarded me,” he insisted.  “You got the shit beaten out of you by those fucking warlocks, and suddenly found yourself trapped in a human body with this spell looking to latch on to anything.  It had to be attached to something, ok?  You picked me, and dammit, Blake, I don’t want you to regret that for one second!  Not one fucking second, do you hear me?  Because you were, are, and always will be, the best damned thing that ever happened to me!  No matter what happens, I want you to know that.”

            Silence.  No noise from outside but the rain, nothing from inside but the steady, labored sound of Blake’s breathing.  Adam had noticed the rattle that was coming from deep in Blake’s chest as he breathed a few hours ago and brought it to the doctor’s attention.  The doctor hadn’t said anything, but the expression on his face had said enough.  It wasn’t good.  Now it was worse.  Adam reached one hand down and pressed it over Blake’s chest.  He could feel it, the deep rattle.  Blake’s heart steadily beat, flesh and blood over an ancient, gentle, loving spirit.

            “Thank you,” Blake said softly.

            “What for, buddy?”

            “Everything.”  The angel hummed softly, and Adam recognized a bit of “Dust In The Wind.”  But then Blake coughed harshly, and immediately stopped.

            Once more, silence filled the room.

            Careful not to disturb Blake’s IV, Adam tightened his arms around him and held him close.  He leaned down to kiss the top of Blake’s head.  Then he pressed his cheek against his hair.  “That flight in, coming back from L.A.?” Adam said softly.  “Remember that?  How we flew over those plains, and it looked like this huge ocean made out of emerald!  And the way you sang to me, Blake.  You were flying right into so much danger, I mean, look at what they did to you!  But your only concern, the only thing you were worried about, was comforting me.  Because that’s what you do, isn’t it?  Whatever weird pavement-cracking mission you’re handed, your primary job is just to try to make the lives of the people you meet a little better.  You walked out onto the streets in New York and everywhere you went, you left a trail of people you tried to help.  All those random strangers.  Their lives were just a little better because you passed by, Blake.  And you’ve done so much for me!  Maybe you weren’t ever assigned to me, but I still gave you a hell of a run for your money, didn’t I?”  He chuckled.  “Maybe your next job will be easier, huh?  Maybe you’ll have a kid you’ll have to keep from falling into a bucket or something.  And you can sing for him the way you did for me if he skins his knees, right?”

            Silence.  Blake’s face had a wistful expression on it now as he clutched at Adam’s hand.

            “Hey, listen to me!” Adam urged.  “You’re going to get home, alright?  I made this deal with the warlocks, and as long as you can make it through sunset on Sunday night without using your powers, they’ll give up their claim on you.  Then we’ll make them take the binding spells off, and you’ll be free.  You’ll get to be an angel again, Blake, and go back to heaven.  It’ll happen!  You’ll go back to that life you had, doing divine missions and no demon or fucking warlock will ever, ever be able to hurt you again.”

            He paused, wondering if he dared.  And then he pressed forward.  “Or…  Or you could stay, Blake.  You could live as a human, just like you’ve been doing all week.  Only this time, you could keep your free will.  You remember how much fun we had in the park?  We could do that again!  I can teach you how to swim and ride a bike.  And I’ll teach you how to read and write and count properly!  We can get your GED and you can get a job, maybe even go to school?  You’re so smart, Blake!  You could do whatever you wanted.  Maybe…”  He swallowed hard.  “Maybe you could even get married?  You could spend the rest of your life with someone you loved.  You could be happy.”

            Blake lay as he was, silent and still.  A flash of lightning briefly lit up the room, followed a few seconds later by the low rumble of thunder.

            “My point is that you have options now,” Adam urged.  “You’ve got a future ahead of you.  We have a chance, a way to beat the warlocks.  And then, you’ll be free!  But first you’ve got to try to sleep now, Blake.  You need to rest.”

            “Can you ever forgive me?” Blake whispered, finally breaking his silence.

            Adam sputtered.  “Forgive you?  Dammit, Blake, there isn’t anything to forgive you for!”

            “Could you ever…  I mean, you and I, what we had before you knew…?”

            Adam closed his eyes for a long moment, trying to fight back the tears that threatened to spill over.  “You said you don’t want to die like this.  But you don’t mean that you don’t want to die because you got beaten to death by demons!”  He opened his eyes, looking down at Blake in his arms.  “You don’t want to die with anything unresolved between us, do you?  Even now, the only thing you’re worried about is me!”

            Silence again.  But the blue eyes seemed to be searching as they stared off into the night, as though looking for answers hidden in the darkness.  The heat of his fever was making Adam sweat as he held the battered body, providing what little comfort he could.

            Adam couldn’t remember ever feeling more helpless in his life.

            Sing him a lullaby.  That had been the doctor’s great, unhelpful advice on how to help Blake get the rest his body so desperately needed.  Probably thought he was being funny.

            Fuck him.  He really would sing Blake a lullaby.  It was the least he could do.

            Adam gently rocked Blake from side to side, careful of his injuries, and thought back over what he’d just told Blake and what they’d gone through.  And then he took a deep breath and softly began to sing.

            _“Goodnight my angel, time to close your eyes, and save these questions for another day.  I think I know what you've been asking me.  I think you know what I've been trying to say.”_   He gently stroked Blake’s cheek as he sang, smiling down as the blue eyes at last looked up at him.  “ _I promised I would never leave you and you should always know, wherever you may go, no matter where you are, I never will be far away.”_

            Blake’s eyes grew wide.  Adam smiled down at him.

_“Goodnight my angel, now it's time to sleep.  And still so many things I want to say!  Remember all the songs you sang for me when we went sailing on an emerald bay?  And like a boat out on the ocean I'm rocking you to sleep.  The water's dark and deep inside this ancient heart.  You'll always be a part of me.”_

            Something changed in Blake’s expression and the way he held himself.  He seemed to sag, tension easing that had been held for too long.  A curious expression of peace settled over his features.  His eyes blinked several times and then closed.  His body relaxed, although his grip on Adam’s hand never lessened.

            Adam held him close, yearning for him to stay even as he forced himself to face the fact that Blake may choose to return to his life as an angel.  Whatever Blake chose, Adam would support it.

_“Goodnight my angel, now it's time to dream, and dream how wonderful your life will be.  Someday your child may cry, and if you sing this lullaby?  Then in your heart there will always be a part of me.”_

            The eyes remained closed, the breathing growing steady despite the ominous rattle.  Adam let his tears come, let them run over his cheeks and splash into Blake’s hair even as he continued to gently rock the two of them.  His voice never faltered.  _“Someday we'll all be gone, but lullabies go on and on!  They never die, that's how you and I will be.”_

            Silence once more. [Lying against his chest, Blake slept](https://funtimewriter.tumblr.com/post/161449296777/another-lovely-bit-of-art-a-reader-did-for-this) for the first time in his long existence, letting his body heal at last.

            Blake would recover.

            Blake had to recover.

            Adam didn’t know how he could go on if Blake didn’t recover.

            _Please,_ Adam prayed silently.  There were no words, no pleas that he could send.  Only the silent, solitary ache in his heart that was worse than any migraine he’d ever had.

****

            Everything ached.  Adam’s entire body was stiff.  For some reason, he was lying propped against a cold, hard, wall with something heavy on top of him.  He didn’t feel as if he’d moved the entire night.

            The heavy thing weighed him down, and Adam looked down and saw Blake.  The early morning sun shone directly on the angel’s pale face, on the closed eyes and the partially opened lips.  One hand still clutched Adam’s left hand, his other hand holding Adam’s right hand against his chest.

            And beneath that hand, Adam could feel the steady beat of Blake’s heart, the gentle rise and fall of his breath.

            Blake had survived the night.

            Adam tilted his face towards heaven, sending a silent thank you with all his heart and soul.  Then he looked back down at the treasure lying against his chest.  “I love you,” he whispered.

            “I love you, too,” came a sleepy reply.

            Adam blushed, quickly wiped his eyes against his shoulder.  But Blake wasn’t awake, not yet.  His chest still rose and fell with his slow, steady breaths.  But he was better.  As the doctor had predicted, letting himself sleep had given the angel part of Blake time to heal his physical body.  Now the change was dramatic.  The terrible rattle was gone, as were most of the bruises.  Blake’s face still bore some faint discolorations and was still terribly pale.  But he was healing.  In the early morning light, he was…

            _Beautiful, you’re so beautiful, baby, and I know I can’t keep you.  I know it would be selfish and dangerous and I have no right to even think about this much less ask it.  But I would give anything, face anything, if only you would stay here with me!_

            Blake stirred.  Finally letting go of Adam’s hands, he rolled over to his side and pressed against Adam’s chest.  The arm with the IV snagged and he waved it irritably.  His other arm slipped around Adam’s waist, and Adam smiled, gently pressing a kiss into his hair.  “Hey, good morning!  Finally waking up, huh, sleepyhead?”

            “Hmm?”  The eyes blinked open, sky blue and full of wonder, with more than a touch of confusion.

            “You went to sleep last night,” Adam explained as a smile spread across his face.  “You’re just waking up!  Did you dream?”

            “Dream?  I don’t know.  Was that real?”  Blake sat up, still clinging to Adam, and looked around.

            Adam laughed, wrapped both of his arms around Blake and pulled him back against his chest again.  He held the angel tightly, pressing a second kiss behind his ear.  Blake continued to look around, unsure and amazed as a child just to be here, waking up from whatever dream had kept him company through the night.  _Thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou…_

            “Ah, he made it!  Good!”  Frank stood in the doorway, idly scratching at his armpit, wearing only a pair of yellow stained briefs and an undershirt with a hole in it.  “You guys shouldn’t have any trouble getting home, or wherever you’re going, then.  The girls were at it all night long, smacking back anything that so much as looked crosswise at this house.  I barely got a wink of sleep.  But they sure gave those demons one fine scare!  I haven’t seen this neighborhood so free of the scaly bastards in years.”

            “You want us to leave, then?” Adam asked quietly.  “I understand.”

            “That’s not what I’m saying, kid!” the man spat.  “I meant that you don’t have to worry because the girls cleared the road.”

            Adam smiled.  “Tell them thank you.”

            “Eh, they won’t care.”  Frank indicated Blake.  “Let the doc check out Blake and come to breakfast.  I think we have some things to talk about.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter kind of broke Mr. Fun.
> 
> Song Adam sings here is "Lullaby (Goodnight My Angel)" by Billy Joel  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9r1ZCPlbxU
> 
> Edit - another wonderful piece of art from a reader has been linked into this chapter, worth a look!


	32. Heavenly Messenger

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frank shares some of his knowledge about angels and has surprising insights into Blake's mission. Adam tries hard to support Blake. Blake is faced with a major decision.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song (non-diegetic) that I used for this chapter was "Place In This World" by Michael W. Smith  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFpFVgMHROo

            Frank owned a commercial quality toaster that featured a conveyer belt.  It was able to produce continuous quantities of hot toast, dumping them onto a plate at the end of the belt.  The toaster appeared to fascinate Blake.  The angel was leaning down, ducking his six foot five frame until he was eye level with the device, peering through the opening at the end to watch the toast turning brown as it traveled the conveyer.

            This suited the doctor just fine.  The doctor, whose name, Adam had learned, was Greg, had wanted Blake to have one more IV dose of antibiotics and finish the bag of fluids, just to be certain he was safe.  Adam didn’t understand enough about medicine and IVs to be able to explain it to Blake, which meant Blake understood nothing at all.  All he’d known was that there was a tube sticking in his arm, and tape and a dressing securing it that irritated him.  He’d started out by rapidly shaking his arm, trying to shake the annoying thing off.  Then he’d started peeling at the dressing, trying to twist his wrist free from the tape, or simply trying to walk away from the IV pole, coming close to pulling it out of his arm several times.  They’d finally attached a short thin wooden board to Blake’s arm, wrapped it with several layers of gauze, and firmly told him that it was very important he leave it alone.  But the angel had been sitting absently picking at the dressings anyway until Frank had started the toaster.

            Adam was letting him explore as he ate.  He’d already gotten a bowl of hot cereal and several pieces of toast into Blake, as well as a glass of milk.  Now that he was distracted by the mysterious workings of Frank’s toaster, Adam relaxed enough to feed himself.  But Adam’s attention was primarily on Frank.

            “I was given my ability when I was a child,” the old man began.  “I remember walking to school and an old woman came up to me.  She told me that I had a chance to do great things, touched my cheek, and suddenly I could see the girls smiling down at me.  I don’t remember exactly when or why I named them Gwen and Alicia.  But I learned pretty quickly not to talk about them because no one else could see them.  There was a time when I very nearly ended up with a lobotomy, and I gotta tell you, son, that leaves an impression on a fella.  Well, like I said, I could see them, and I could see other angels as well.  And of course, I could see demons.  The demons terrified me until I came to understand that the girls would always defend me from them.”

            “So they always fight demons, but they let you get shot?” Adam asked.

            “That’s right.”  He indicated Greg.  “The doc here tells me that he told you a bit about me, where I came from and some of how my life has been?”

            “I did,” Greg called.  “And Blake is poking his fingers into the toaster.  Is it alright that he’s poking with the toaster?”

            “Be careful, Blake, that’s hot!” Adam called.  “If you keep poking your fingers into it, you’re going to burn yourself.”

            “Alright!”  Blake continued to poke around with the toaster and hissed when he burned his finger.

            “And what did you learn?” Adam said calmly.  He was secretly pleased with himself for letting Blake learn this lesson, rather than demanding he stay away from the toaster.

            Blake looked sadly at his burned finger.  “Sorry.”

            “Just stick it in your mouth and suck on it a bit, Blake,” Frank encouraged, not looking up.  “Here’s the most important thing to remember about guardian angels, Adam: They are divine, and the only thing they’re really concerned about is the divine.  So if a demon comes along, they’ll give it a good swift kick in the can fast it can blink, because they won’t give it a chance to upset the divine plan.  But humans are anything but divine!  Now, that’s not to say that they won’t interfere if there’s something they really need for me to do, and they’ve saved my sorry ass more than once.  But I’ve never seen Alicia hit a human with her shield or Gwen swat one with her sword.  The most exciting thing they did was stick out a foot and trip someone trying to attack me.”

            “Of course both angels and demons have their own agenda, but all they can usually do is sway humans to do what they need done.  You see a few rare cases of demons actually possessing people, or someone like me who can see the angels and get direct messages, but for the most part, it’s very subtle.  Take that crack Blake made in the pavement, for instance.  I will confess, that confused the hell out of me.  But if I were you, son, I’d keep an eye on that crack.  Because a divine mission isn’t assigned on a whim.  One day soon, something very significant will happen that will be able to be traced back specifically to that tiny crack.”

            “He just stuck a fork in the toaster,” Greg reported.  “Blake is cooking a fork now.  Do we think that’s part of any sort of divine mission?  There is a fork moving through the toaster right now, does anyone care that there is a fork in the toaster?”

            “I already figured that there had to be a bit more to that whole ‘crack the sidewalk’ thing than meets the eye, and you can bet I’ll keep an eye on it,” Adam agreed.  “But I’m still stuck on why your girls don’t protect you from humans.  Blake has defended me since he showed up, got into a fight when I got jumped by my asshole neighbors and everything!  And he’s not even a guardian!”

            “And that is a very significant fact,” Frank stressed.  “Every angel, from the highest of the archangels through the guardians and down to messengers like Blake, is a holy warrior.  They’re soldiers of the heavenly host, and as you’ve seen firsthand from the three with us here, they’re all fighters.  But messengers typically aren’t called on for protection duty for an extended period of time like the girls are.  Mostly they just escort someone for short periods of time until they either get whatever message they’re there to deliver, or the person exercises their free will and the messenger has to try someone else.”

            “Blake said he was escorting me,” Adam recalled.  “That’s what he told me he was doing almost from the beginning.”

            “Well, to be fair, if he’s bound to you, he has a certain amount of self-interest in doing so.  But that only further illustrates my point.  Blake was escorting you, and that actually makes a messenger, in a way, even fiercer than a guardian.  A guardian is accustomed to be patient, to watch over her charge and allow him to make his own decisions.  Because of that, they will stand by and let you make a bad one.  God knows I’ve made enough of those that they stuck with me through.  But the goal, the focus, of a guardian is long term.  A messenger’s focus is very short term.  They’re goal oriented, there to accomplish one very specific task, and short of impinging on free will, they’ll do what they have to do in order to accomplish that goal.  The fact is, when most people speak of guardian angels and divine intervention, they’re not actually talking about guardians at all.  They’re seeing the work of messengers like Blake.”

            “And there goes the third fork, and I believe that was a spoon he just fed into the toaster,” Greg reported, sipping his coffee.  “Frank, your silverware is getting very well toasted.”

            Frank had one of the books he’d written on angels out on the table and was leafing through the pages.  Finding what he was looking for, he pushed it to Adam.  “Since I could see them, I figured I had an obligation to study them, angels, obviously,” he explained.  “This is the last book I wrote, the culmination of my research.  Now understand, the ‘real’ angel experts blow me off as an old kook.  I don’t have any sort of degree, after all.  No, all I could do was find something or puzzle something out, ask the girls, and have them nod or shake their heads to let me know if I was right or wrong.  What the hell do I know?”

            Adam chuckled at that.  “Ok, this is, what, the job description of a heavenly messenger?”

            “You got it.  Above and beyond anything else, their title says it all.  They’re messengers, and they show up when they have a message to deliver.  Once that’s done, they’re gone, off to the next mission.”

            Adam tried to keep his expression neutral, hoping the pang he felt at that didn’t show.  “So what’s your message, Blake?” he called.  “What were you trying to tell us when you cracked that sidewalk?”

            Blake looked back at him and frowned.

            “Eh, it was worth a try, but I doubted that would work,” Frank sighed.  “The message of a heavenly messenger is usually only intended for one specific person at one specific time.  Sometimes it’s bigger, of course, the missions vary and they can be real efficient about getting tasks done.”

            “He’s real efficient about trying to get that saucer into the toaster,” Greg commented.  “I don’t think he’ll…  Nope, he just proved me wrong.  Blake is now toasting a saucer.”

            Frank tapped the book.  “You see what the number two task is on that job description, right after delivering messages?”

            “Escort duty!” Adam read.  “The messenger escorts a specific person and keeps them safe until that person can complete their assigned task.”

            “Precisely!”

            “Dammit!” Adam grumbled.  “Why the hell couldn’t I have found you or at least this book about a week ago?  But I guess it wouldn’t have mattered.  When we were trying to do some research and understand what Blake was and what was happening with him, my friend looked at this exact same book.  But she was looking up guardians, not messengers!”

            “Don’t feel bad, kid,” Frank comforted.  “You couldn’t have known the difference, especially not if Blake wasn’t entirely honest with you.”

            Adam glanced at Blake.  The angel had gone stiff for a moment, watching as an assortment of cutlery and table settings came out of the toaster but obviously having heard what Frank had just said.  When the blue eyes turned towards him, Adam gave him a reassuring smile.  “It’s alright,” he said.  “Yeah, that hurt me, buddy, that you’d lied.  Our relationship took a hit from it.  But number three on this list of duties is ‘provide comfort.’  And I know I got a lot of comfort from thinking you were my guardian angel, sent to help me.  Yeah, it hurt that you lied, but in the end, it doesn’t really make a difference.  You fought for me with your life, and if that isn’t being a guardian, I don’t know what is.”

            Blake’s face broke into a sunny smile.  He shyly looked away, and once again his attention was drawn to the toaster.

            “Blake did tell us a few things about guardian angels,” Adam said, returning to Frank.  “He said that people with guardians are real special, have a chance to make a big change that affects a lot of people.  Based on what Greg told me, it sounds like you’re exactly that kind of person, Frank.”

            Frank shrugged.  “I won’t lie and tell you it’s an easy life.  You know that old story about the man at the drawbridge?”  When Adam shook his head, Frank explained.  “The tale goes, this man was responsible for lowering the bridge when a train came, to allow it to pass over.  But one night, his young son followed him to his station, and just before the train came, the boy fell into the gears.  The man knew that if he lowered the bridge, his son would die.  But if he didn’t, then everyone on the train would die.  And so he lowered the bridge to save the many people on the train, and the people, knowing nothing of the man’s terrible sacrifice, waved cheerfully to the man as the train passed.  The moral of the story here is that sometimes individuals are called on to make the deepest of personal sacrifices for the benefit of those around them.  And even though I accepted that early on when I chose to follow the path before me, it was never easy, young Adam.”

            “Ah, I really think maybe you should stop him this time, Levine,” Greg suggested.  “Blake is about to feed a towel through the toaster, and that will probably catch on fire.”

            “Ack!  Blake, no!”  Adam jumped up, turned the toaster off, took the towel away from his fascinated angel, and steered him away from the toaster to sit at the table.  He drew the IV pump closer and took Blake’s free hand as the angel’s eyes once again fell on the dressings securing his IV.  “How much longer does he have to have this IV in his arm?”

            “At least another hour.”

            “Fine.  Blake?  Will you stay here with me for an hour or so, until your IV gets done?”

            Blake’s smile became somewhat strained.

            Frank was shaking his head.  “Hard to believe Daly and Raymond want you to fight a pit lord,” he commented.  “Sometimes you seem more like a child in an adult’s body than a holy warrior!  But they called me early this morning while you were in the shower, Adam, wanting to know if their prize fighter had survived the night.”  He paused.  “They also wanted to know his sizes.  It sounded like they were going shopping for you, Blake.”

            Blake went still and quiet.  Adam clenched his jaw.

            “They seem fairly certain that they’re going to have you by Sunday evening,” Frank continued.  “And unfortunately, your idiot young friend here signed a contract in blood that will all but ensure it happens unless specific conditions are met.  Never a good idea, but it’s done now.  Problem is, no one ever asked you what you thought about it, Blake.”

            Blake didn’t say anything.  His smile had vanished as he shook his arm with the IV.  He tried gently to pull his hand away from Adam’s, clearly intent on picking at the dressings on his arm.  Adam held on, sandwiching his hand between both of his.  Blake looked at his trapped hand and frowned slightly.

            “Here is the thing,” Frank said, still addressing Blake.  “I learned a long time ago that the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.  Carson Daly and Usher Raymond are evil bastards, make no mistake.  If they take you away, your life will be difficult, Blake.  They’ll enslave you completely, use you as a prize fighter and however else they want, and when they don’t have a use for you, you’ll be locked up in a cage of some sorts.  You’ll never see Adam again, never spread your wings again.  If you do beat this pit lord thing, well, I imagine your next opponent will be even tougher, maybe two pit lords, or three, until they finally destroy you.  And even if that doesn’t happen, even if no one is ever able to challenge Daly and Raymond again?  You’ll never know a day of happiness again.  And sooner or later, one way or another, I imagine you’ll find a way to end it.”

            “But there’s another side to that,” Frank continued.  “Even without a divine mission, as an angel, you’re obligated to act in a manner that does the most good for the most people.  If Daly and Raymond are able to win this blasted tournament?  If they can make you into the champion fighter they believe you can be?  They won’t need to enslave more demons for a long time.  They’ll go back to their studies, they won’t have to do any more human sacrifices for a decade or so, and best of all, they’ll keep out the younger warlocks and their pets that have caused a lot of trouble around this neighborhood lately.  In other words, Blake, if you let them take you?  You’ll save lives and make this neighborhood much safer for a while.  By sacrificing yourself, you have a chance to help a lot of people who won’t even know what you’ve done.  You would be that man at the bridge, doing the one thing that would provide the most good for the most people.”

            Everything in Adam wanted to cry out, to protest and argue.  But somehow, he kept still.  Blake’s eyes were fixed on the table, serious and blue and deep in thought.  Finally he shook his head.  “No,” he said.  “I don’t want them to take me away.  They’re bad, and if they take me, they’ll use me for bad.  Less bad isn’t the same as good.”

            “Amen!” Greg called.

            “Then that’s your choice,” Frank declared.  “And Blake, I owe you an apology.  I felt that I had to offer you that option, to let you make that choice.  But you’re right.  Less bad isn’t the same as good.  It’s not even remotely good!  I’m old, and I’m tired, and I’ve lost too many friends fighting this battle already.  But I got some more fights still in me.  If those damned warlocks start their foolishness again, I’ll go to war again.”

            “We’re still with you, old man,” Greg said.  He reached over and squeezed Frank’s hand, and with a start, Adam realized suddenly what Frank really was – the closest thing he’d ever find to a real life paladin.

            Frank smiled at Greg for a moment.  Then he once again turned to Blake.  “So the way Adam here set it up, you have a few options.  You’re a messenger, although very different from any I’ve ever seen before.  This binding spell flimflam they have on you is probably why you can talk, but once it’s gone, it’s anyone’s guess what will become of that.  Chances are good that, once you’re free from Adam here, your ability to speak will be gone.”

            Adam hadn’t realized that, but it seemed Blake had.  He was nodding as he listened, his eyes focused on the table in front of him and his face solemn.

            “Your first option is to go back to being what you were,” Frank continued.  “Assuming you don’t use your powers, the warlocks don’t find some way to cheat and they’re forced to let you go, you’ll be free of the binding spells and can return to your true form and go back to Heaven.  Then you can go back to delivering messages.”  He paused.  “Sorry to digress, but there is one thing that I don’t understand.  Blake, you came here a week ago, right?  But your mission wasn’t supposed to happen until yesterday?”

            “No.”  Blake’s gaze was fixed to the table now.  “I was supposed to do it that first night.”

            That made Adam’s eyebrows go up, but Frank raised a hand, his attention fixed on Blake.  “Alright, I suppose I can understand that the events taking place at the time might have necessitated you waiting for a while.  But yesterday was the latest you could have done it?”

            “Yes.”

            “But you could have done it at any point before then.”

            “Yes.”  Blake seemed to shrink.

            “Blake?” Frank called.  “Why did you wait?”

            “Because I didn’t want to do it!”  The angel’s voice was so soft it was barely a whisper.  “I did it because I had to.  I didn’t have a choice.”

            Frank’s eyes bored into him.  “Why didn’t you want to do your divine mission, Blake?”

            And now the blue eyes rose, looking into Frank’s.  For a long moment, the two simply stared at each other.  And then Frank straightened.  “Oh.”

            “Oh what?” Greg asked.  “Come on, we’re dying of suspense here!”

            “It seems that Blake’s message is for me,” Frank said.  The old man suddenly looked even older as he looked at Adam.  “You remember how I told you I’d never heard an angel speak?  Well, that wasn’t a lie, but my gift has given me a certain insight into the nature of divine messages.  You ever see people set up those dominos, and tipping one over creates this massive chain reaction?  Well, heavenly messengers don’t usually talk, and it’s a rare thing that someone gets a direct message.  It’s more like those dominos.  The messenger sets up a series of dominos, and then they tip the first one.  The message itself lies in what happens when that last domino falls.”  He indicated Blake.  “Blake is hardly the first messenger I’ve ever met.  And every time I have met one, that message was meant for me.  I suppose I should have known that this was no exception.  After all, this is one message I’ve known was coming for a very long time.”

            Greg suddenly gasped.  “Not yet!” he pleaded.  “Frank, we need you!”

            “Oh, shut up, Greg,” Frank grumbled.  “I’m old and there’s a part of me, maybe the larger part, that’s been wanting to hear this for a while now.”

            “Someone tell me what’s going on!” Adam demanded, looking from Blake to Frank to Greg and back.  Blake stared at the table, but his hand was tight as he held to Adam’s.

            “What’s going on is that Frank has been waiting for years now for his replacement!” Greg exclaimed.  The tough former gang banger was openly crying.  “Frank wasn’t born able to see angels, someone passed that ability on to him when he was a child.  He told us a long time ago that the day was coming when he’ll complete his last mission, the girls will leave him, and he’ll be alone.  Then he’ll know his replacement because he’ll see someone with their own pair of guardians.  And that’s the one who he’ll pass his powers on to.  Once he does that, his work is finished, and he’ll…  Frank will…”

            “That will be the day I die,” Frank finished.  “And the one chosen has the chance to pick up where I left off.  I’m fine with that, Greg.  I always have been.”

            “Yeah, well, I’m not!”  Greg wiped at his eyes.  “I figured when you told us Blake was an angel that he’d been sent here for you.  But he got diverted from his mission!  Couldn’t his message have changed?”

            Frank didn’t answer, and of course, that was an answer in and of itself.

            Adam was looking hard at Blake.  _So Blake came here for Frank, not for me._   Adam expected that to hurt.  But while there was certainly a twang of pain at the thought, he was surprised to find that it wasn’t nearly as bad as he’d expected.  Still, something about what Frank had just said didn’t feel quite right.  While Blake seemed to like Frank, the angel’s odd reluctance to complete his mission was puzzling.  Adam believed that Blake still hadn’t told the entire truth about his divine mission.  But it seemed he would get no further answers today.  Blake had gently pulled his hand free and was absently picking at the dressing on his arm, not looking up.

            Adam cleared his throat.  “So, Blake’s crack in the sidewalk has to do with your replacement?” he asked.

            “So it appears.  I imagine it’s one of those dominos I mentioned, and it will be interesting to see just what happens when it falls.  But let’s not dwell on that, shall we?  That’s for the future.  Our concern needs to be for the immediate present, and that involves Blake here.”

            Adam nodded.  “Right.  So I guess we start with the basics.”  He waited until Blake looked him in the eye and then began.  “Blake, yesterday when the warlocks wanted to take you away, you told me to let them take you.  But now you’ve changed your mind?”

            To Adam’s relief, Blake frowned shook his head.  “I don’t want them to take me away.  I never did.  I just couldn’t fight them anymore!  Don’t let them have me, Rockstar, I want to stay with you!”

            Adam paused for a moment, letting himself bask in that before speaking again.  “Blake, you’ve got a couple of choices here.  One is that you can go back to Heaven and be a messenger angel again like before.  And the other is that you could stay here and live as a human.  But either way, you just need to make it until sunset on Sunday night without using any of your powers.  If you can do that, the warlocks will let you go and you’ll be free to choose.  And I want you to know, I’ll support whatever decision you make.”  He frowned and slapped at Blake’s hand.  “Except this one!  Stop trying to pick the dressing off of your wrist!  You need that IV, Blake!”

            Blake scowled.  He shook his arm irritably, looking like a petulant child about to have a temper tantrum.  “Take it off of me!”

            “Is it hurting you?” Greg asked.

            “No, I just want it off!  You said I can choose what I want.  Why can’t I choose to take this off?”

            “It’s only for another hour, buddy,” Adam soothed.  “You can stand it that long, right?  Come on, what’s wrong with it that it bothers you so much?”

            Blake scowled some more and gave his arm another hard shake.  “I want it off!  I won’t run away again, Adam, I promise!  Please take this off of me?  I don’t need another thing on my wrist to keep me here!”

            Adam had the dressing and the wooden splint off of Blake’s wrist before he even registered Greg’s protests.  “Adam!” Greg yelled, grabbing Adam’s arm just before he pulled the IV free.  “He needs to finish that antibiotic!  Do you want him to be sick again?”  To Blake, he said, “You’re not tied down, alright?  It’s not there to trap you, it’s there to make you stop being sick.  Do you understand?  It’s not confining you in any way.  You can move all around as long as you take the pole with you, and as soon as it’s done, I’ll take it out.  We can leave the splint off, and if you just sit quietly here with Adam, you’ll be finished before you know it.  Will you do that?”

            Blake considered, frowning at the IV.  Adam felt sick.  He hadn’t even considered what the medical device attached to his arm must seem like to the bound angel.  But after a moment, Blake nodded.  “Alright.”

            Adam smiled, shook his head, and caught Blake’s free hand in both of his again.  “Ok, I think that was a vivid reminder of what we’re dealing with here,” he declared.  “First off, I’m so sorry, buddy.  I should have asked you a long time ago why you kept picking at that IV!  Blake, you don’t talk much, and it’s hard to tell sometimes what you do and don’t understand.  But you can talk.  Seems like you’re unique that way.  So talk to us.  We need you to tell us exactly what it is that you want, ok?  Blake, the bottom line is that this is all up to you,” he stressed.  “You have a decision to make here, and I think we’re all agreed that we will do what we can to support whatever you decide.  So now, I need for you to tell us what you’re thinking.”

            Blake suddenly grew serious.  His eyes locked on Adam.  “I can’t,” he said.

            “Can’t what, buddy?”

            “Forget it!” Blake spat.

            “Whoa, ok, calm down,” Adam soothed, startled by the sudden unexpected venom in Blake’s voice.  “It’s alright.”

            Blake stared at him, his mouth twisted into a scowl.  Then he pulled his hand away and crossed his arms over his chest.  “Your words are stupid!” he announced.

            Adam blinked at him, speechless for a moment.  Then he frowned and shook his head.  “Alright, Blake,” he said.  “Why don’t you just tell me exactly what it is that you want?”

            “Bessie,” Blake announced.

            “I am too old for this,” Frank complained.  “I fell off of this train a while back.”

            “Don’t worry, I have no idea what they’re saying now, either,” Greg offered.

            “It’s my guitar,” Adam explained.  “He wants my guitar!”

            “Well give it to him!  Greg, isn’t this IV done yet?”

            “About another half an hour.”

            “Fine!” Frank declared.  “In half an hour, get the damned thing out.  Then take him home, Adam, and give him that guitar.  It sounds like he’s got a message for you, too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mr. Fun thought the revelations here were "interesting."


	33. Angel Song

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Realizing that he cannot get through to Adam any other way, Blake expresses his feelings in song.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, Blake is still only able to speak words that Adam said first. And yes, that includes the song here! This fic took quite a bit of behind-the-scenes work well in advance, as Adam had to say the words I needed Blake to have and at the same time be very careful to NOT say the words Blake wasn't meant to know for the storyline. And I had to do both in a way that still left Adam's dialogue sounding natural! This was, bar none, the most technically difficult story I have ever written. By now, I'm quite adept with that primer and can pick through it very well for Blake's dialogue, but it's been quite the adventure! Would anyone like to guess what the most difficult word was to squeeze into dialogue?
> 
> From this point on, I will no longer be providing trigger warnings. If you may be triggered by anything I have tagged, I suggest you stop after either this chapter or the next. Thank you for reading, and luv to you all!

            Adam wasn’t sure what Blake would do once Bessie was in his hands.  But he hadn’t expected the angel to sling the guitar across his back, take his hand, and head back out the door.  Adam followed, locking the door behind them and letting Blake lead him forward.  Part of him still worried about Blake being attacked, even though Frank had assured him that Blake’s human form should protect him once more.  His senses were on high alert, and by the time Blake led him to the park, Adam’s head was pounding with the tension.

            They didn’t have the park to themselves today.  It was quite busy, people eager to enjoy the good weather.  Children swarmed the playground equipment.  Adults chatted as they cooked food on the charcoal grills.  But Blake had led Adam away a bit from the crowd, sitting with him near a flowering lilac tree close to the parking lot.

            Blake swung Bessie around, setting the instrument up to play and carefully tuned the strings.  Adam admired him despite himself.  After last night’s storm, the sky seemed washed clear.  It was once again the same brilliant blue as Blake’s eyes.  The sun felt warm as it shone down on them.  A gentle breeze made the lilacs dance, filling the air with sweet scent.

            Adam sat on the ground and pulled his knees to his chest, his eyes locked on Blake.  The angel’s face was frowning in concentration.  Satisfied with the tuning, he strummed the strings once.  Then he stopped, seeming lost in thought.  Somehow, the sight of him, sitting there with Bessie, seemed so perfect, so _right,_ that it was as if this was what Blake had been born to do.  It seemed silly, when Adam didn’t even know if Blake could actually sing.  He’d heard Blake hum, but that wasn’t really any way to judge.  And the only singing he’d heard from Blake had been while he’d been in his angel form.  Blake could talk when no other angel could.  Regardless of why that was, did Blake really have enough control over his voice to sing?

            Somehow, Adam thought he knew the answer.  He couldn’t wait to find out.  Despite his anxiety about what Blake wanted to tell him, Blake’s honeyed speaking voice hinted at something great.  The musician in Adam longed to hear it.

            For a long moment, Blake stayed as he was, seated on the ground with his back to the lilac tree, long legs bent slightly in front of him, chewing on the inside of his lip as he thought.  “When you write a song,” he began, “sometimes the lyrics are harder than the melody.  The melody gives you the time, with the beat.  Then you need to try to make the words match that time.  It can be challenging, because you need to find words that not only match up with the melody, but also rhyme.”

            Adam smiled.  “Very good, Blake!  Are you trying to write a song?”

            Blake nodded.  His fingers moved, still stiff from his recent injuries.  But soon they were moving limberly along the strings, drawing out a gentle country ballad.

            “That kind of music suits you, Big Country,” Adam encouraged.  “Keep going!  It’s beautiful.”

            “Beautiful.  Like the moonlight.”

            “Yes, like moonlight,” Adam agreed, confused.

            Blake kept playing, keeping up the song as he began once more to speak.  “Once upon a time, you could just think about how much you loved Behati and the songs would just tumble out.”

            “Yeah,” Adam agreed.  “And I know you can’t understand this, but for the first time, I didn’t feel a pang when you just said her name.  That’s behind me now.  And the only thing I really care about right now is what’s right in front of me.”

            Adam looked up at Blake, but the blue eyes were looking down at the guitar.  The notes continued, Blake‘s fingers on the frets drawing them through the instrument and into existence with unconscious skill.  “You sang for me last night,” Blake said.

            “Yes, I did,” Adam confessed.  “I sang you a lullaby.”

            “It came from your heart,” Blake said.  “It was true.  It was real.  You sang what you felt.”

            And now Adam felt his cheeks burn as color rose in them.  “I already told you how I feel about you, buddy,” he said.  “And I know you don’t understand it, but…”

            “Your words are stupid!  The only time they’re real and true is when you sing!”

            Stung, Adam went silent.

            Blake continued to play a bit more.  “I think I could write a song,” he said suddenly.  “For you.  Then, if I sing it, you’ll know it’s true.”

            “For me?  I would like that, Blake, very much.”

            Blake paused in his playing.  And then he began again, this time more sure.  His eyes locked with Adam’s, and for the first time, his voice raised in song.

            As Adam suspected, Blake’s singing voice was rich, solid, powerful, and just as honeyed as his speaking voice.  The sound of it was a deep indigo, the color of denim jeans and the sky as night fell.  But even as the musician in him reacted to the sound of it, he was astounded at the words.

            _“It was no accident, me finding you.  Someone had a hand in it long before we ever knew.  Now I just can't believe you're in my life!  Heaven's smiling down on me as I look at you tonight.”_

_“I tip my hat to the Keeper of the Stars!  He sure knew what He was doing when He joined these two hearts.  And I hold everything when I hold you in my arms!  I've got all I'll ever need thanks to the Keeper of the Stars!”_

            Adam’s jaw was in danger of hitting the ground.  He couldn’t tear his eyes away from Blake’s.  The gentle, childlike yet incredibly ancient spirit behind them seemed to shine.  But the words he was singing were exactly what Adam had been longing to hear.

            This wasn’t possible.  Blake was an angel, a heavenly messenger.  How could an angel possibly feel something like this?  How could an angel ever want a loser, a nobody, a life-long screw-up like Adam?  It didn’t make sense.

            And then suddenly, Adam remembered that Blake was an angel in a human body.  A human body, with human frailties.  Human emotions.  Human _needs._   His mind flashed back to the last time they were here at this park.  To the way Blake had looked at him when he’d said “I love you.”

_“Soft moonlight on your face, oh how you shine!  It takes my breath away just to look into your eyes.  And I know I don't deserve a treasure like you.  There really are no words to show my gratitude.”_

            Adam forgot to breathe for a moment.  In his memory, he saw Blake, standing next to his bed at his parents’ house, talking about how his heart hurt.  Something about the moonlight, and the way Adam had looked in it.  The word Blake didn’t have.  Was it… beautiful?

_“So I tip my hat to the Keeper of the Stars!  He sure knew what He was doing when He joined these two hearts.  I hold everything when I hold you in my arms!  And I've got all I'll ever need thanks to the Keeper of the Stars!”_

            The honeyed voice grew soft.  Blake’s eyes never strayed from Adam’s, holding him in place as the song expressed with stunning clarity what Adam had somehow missed in Blake’s words.

_“It was no accident, me finding you.  Someone had a hand in it long before we ever knew.”_

            The song ended, and Blake’s hands stilled on the guitar.  But his eyes remained locked on Adam’s.  Neither was aware of the small crowd that had gathered to hear Blake sing until they burst into cheers and applause.  Blake smiled slightly, suddenly shy.  But his eyes never left Adam.

            In the end, it was Adam that looked away first.  He ducked his head and swallowed.  His mouth opened, closed, and then opened again.  _You’re right, Blake.  My words are stupid.  The whole damned English language is stupid, isn’t it?  You flat out told me you loved me and I didn’t get it.  And when you said you can’t, and then you said forget it?  You were saying you can’t forget it!  You’re so literal, and when I kissed you the other night, I thought I was doing wrong by you and told you to forget it.  And all morning, you’ve been telling me that you can’t.  I’m an idiot, Blake.  I heard you, but I never heard you!  I should have at least seen it in your eyes!  The way you’re looking at me now?  You’ve been looking at me like that for a while now, and I just didn’t see it!_

            Blake was still staring at him.  And Adam suddenly realized that he hadn’t said a single word aloud.  His entire speech had been solely in his head while the man he loved, and who _loved him back_ , waited patiently for a response.  Adam tried again to speak, but the words simply wouldn’t come.

            Fuck it.

            Adam reached out his hands and gestured for the guitar.

            When he looked up again, Blake’s eyes were still locked to his.  A blind man could see the love in them.  What the hell was wrong with him, Adam wondered, that he hadn’t seen that?  Blake didn’t know enough to hide his emotions.  No one had ever told him that he should be ashamed or shy to express how he felt.  He had never considered that there might be anything wrong with what he was feeling, and so he had never, ever held back.  Everything Blake was feeling was right there, shining in those beautiful blue eyes.

            Adam shook his head.  He’d been a fool.  But now it was time to rectify that.

            Adam adjusted Bessie and set himself to play.  His fingers moved along the frets, letting a ripple of notes in a walking Latin beat fill the air.  He closed his eyes for a moment, rocking slightly in time with the music.  He couldn’t look at Blake.  If he looked at Blake again, the sheer intensity of his emotions would choke him, and the words wouldn’t come.  He looked at Bessie instead, letting out what he’d held back for too long, feeling it flow through the instrument and turn the cheap guitar into something beautiful.  Then, finally, when he opened his mouth again, the words came.

_“I just wanted you to comfort me when I held you late last night, you see, I was falling into love.  Yes, I was crashing into love.  Oh, of all the words you sang to me about life, the truth and being free, yeah, you sang to me.  Oh how you sang to me!  And I live for how you make me feel so I questioned all this being real 'cause I'm not afraid to love.  For the first time I'm not afraid of love!  Oh, this day seems made for you and me and you showed me what life needs to be, yeah, you sang to me, oh, you sang to me!”_

_“All the while you were in front of me I never realized.  I just can't believe I didn't see it in your eyes!  I didn't see it!  I can't believe it!  Oh, but I feel it when you sing to me!  How I long to hear you sing beneath the clear blue skies.  And I promise you, this time I'll see it in your eyes!  I didn't see it!  I can't believe it!  Oh, but I feel it when you sing to me!”_

            Adam was rocking more now, almost dancing in place, letting the sheer joy he felt pour through him, through the instrument and his voice as he continued to sing.

_“Just to think you live inside of me? I had no idea how this could be.  Now I'm crazy for your love, can't believe I'm crazy for your love!  The words you said just sang to me and you showed me where I want to be.  You sang to me.  Oh, you sang to me!”_

_“All the while you were in front of me I never realized.  I just can't believe I didn't see it in your eyes!  I didn't see it!  I can't believe it!  Oh, but I feel it when you sing to me!  How I long to hear you sing beneath the clear blue skies.  And I promise you, this time I'll see it in your eyes!  I didn't see it!  I can't believe it!  Oh, but I feel it when you sing to me!”_

            He repeated the chorus, daring to look up at Blake.  Blake’s face was filled with the brightest smile he’d ever seen.  That smile, brighter than the sun, was enough to burn away whatever last shred of doubt was left.

            Finishing his song, Adam reached out and clutched at Blake’s hand.  “I love you,” he said.  “Blake, I love you so much!”

            Blake squeezed his hand.  “I love you, too!”

            The crowd was back, returning to listen to Adam sing, and again they broke out in cheers and applause.

            “Duet!” someone called.  “We want a duet!”

            More cheers, encouragement.  Adam blushed to his hair, sputtered something, he wasn’t sure what.  But a woman Adam recognized as one of the young mothers who had been in the park when they’d been there before came to his rescue.  “I think they’re done singing for now,” she called, smiling.  “Why don’t you two boys head home?”

            Adam thought that was the best idea he’d heard in a long time.  He gave the woman a smile, and she winked at him.  They both knew that the duet he had in mind had nothing to do with music.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mr. Fun gave me a high five for hiding every word to Blake's song in Adam's dialogue prior to the reveal of him being an angel. Said he figured Blake was saying "I can't forget it." Made bow chica bow bow music at the end.
> 
> Song Blake sings is "Keeper Of The Stars" by Tracy Byrd. Yes, that is how I see his voice, in those colors.  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eshNqJd7eI
> 
> Song Adam sings is "You Sang To Me" by Marc Anthony  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxuqU31gl88


	34. Being Human

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When you're with someone you love, sometimes that is all you need

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Saw this lovely bit of artwork on Tumblr and got permission to reblog from the artist, but then Tumblr decided to give me the shove and wouldn't let me reblog or even like. So here it is! Not for my fic, but love it just the same for this chapter!
> 
> http://legentla.tumblr.com/image/159346256860
> 
> Incidentally, the word that was so difficult to fit into dialogue from "Keeper Of The Stars?" Shine. I had such a time!

            It was all Adam could do to take the time to put Bessie away when they returned to the apartment.  Not even Behati had made him feel like this.  He couldn’t wait to get his hands on Blake.  But even as he moved towards him, Adam hesitated.  Blake knew nothing of sex.  Adam was experienced with women, but he’d never been with a man before.  What was the protocol here?  What if he did something wrong?  If he messed up now, it would forever scar Blake’s impression of physical love.

            Then he decided to stop overthinking it.  He all but ran to Blake, threw his arms around his neck, and pulled his head down to kiss him.  “No wings!” he cautioned as he felt Blake’s arms move to go around him.  “The contract…?”

            The blue eyes grew sad, and his shoulders slumped.  “No wings.  I’m sorry.”

            “No, Blake, it’s not like that!” Adam assured.  “I love your wings, just like I love everything about you, but you gotta keep them down, no matter what, or the warlocks can claim you!  Whatever happens here, it’s gotta be human only.  You can’t do anything as an angel!”  He paused, his eyes searching Blake’s anxiously.  “Can you do that, baby?  Will this be too dangerous?”

            The arms were tight around Adam now, all but crushing him against Blake’s chest.  “You love them?” Blake asked shyly.  “My wings?  They don’t make you feel afraid?”

            “Nothing about you could ever make me feel afraid!  I love you, every part of you!”  Adam kissed him again, and then he pulled back.  “Tell me what you want,” he pleaded.  “I’ll give you anything, just tell me what you want!”

            The arms tightened even more.  “You.  I want you.”

            “You’ve got me, baby, I’m yours, please!” 

            Blake suddenly sucked in his breath.  “You’re mine?”

            “Yes!”  His hands were eager, running over Blake’s face, down his neck, and over his chest.  They tugged at Blake’s shirt and the bigger man let him pull it off.  Adam’s fingers gently traced over Blake’s bare chest, lingering on the new scars.  He pressed his lips to them, kissing them even as he breathed his thanks.  His lips moved, brushing over skin and closing around one nipple.  Drawing it into his mouth, he sucked and gently nibbled.

            The reaction was quite satisfying.  Blake moaned, his skin breaking out in goosebumps.  His eyes were huge, pupils blown as he looked down in astonishment at Adam, lost in these new sensations.  Smiling and feeling bold, Adam gave him another new sensation to consider by cupping the front of Blake’s jeans.

            That did it.  With a small cry, Blake lifted Adam completely up, pushing him down on the mattress.  Adam raised his hands, letting Blake pull his shirt off.  Then he pushed himself back up to undo Blake’s jeans and freed his erection.

            After the first few strokes, Blake let out another cry and fell to his knees.  He didn’t seem to know what to do with his hands and was touching Adam all over, carding his hair, rubbing at his neck and shoulders as Adam continued his ministrations.  Then Adam twisted his body around, lowered his head, and took Blake into his mouth, gently licking at the tip at first before sliding his lips down to encompass his length.

            “Adam!”  It was part groan, part cry, and all pleasure.  It was also all the motivation Adam needed.  Blake’s first orgasm, he decided, was happening here and now.  He’d let Blake experience this before any awkwardness of their first time having sex.  This, at least, Adam could do.  He knew what felt good, and Blake was so responsive, so lost in the sensation that it was easy to tell when he was doing something well.

            Adam pushed Blake’s jeans and underpants down to his knees and squeezed his buttocks.  Meanwhile, he worked away with his tongue and his lips, flicking his tongue out to lap at Blake’s testicles as he slipped one finger into his entrance.  His aim was good.  Blake gave an inarticulate cry and clutched at Adam’s head and shoulder.  He thrust forward, pushing hard at Adam’s mouth and making him gag.  Adam forced himself to relax, letting Blake penetrate his throat while he kept working.  Already the big man was trembling, his breathing coming in ragged gasps.  And soon Adam felt the telltale jerk, felt the heat in the back of his throat that he quickly swallowed.

            As soon as he finished, Blake simply collapsed.

            Adam couldn’t help but chuckle as he looked down at the big man lying wrecked on the floor.  He’d done that, had reduced the strong, powerful man to this quivering heap.  It made Adam feel incredible.  He gave Blake a sultry wink.  “Good?”

            “Good!”  Blake’s eyes were still wide and amazed.  For a moment he simply lay as he was, blinking at the ceiling.  But then he looked at Adam and frowned.  “You?”

            “I’m fine,” Adam said softly.  “Making love isn’t like the ‘sex on the couch’ you saw on TV, buddy.  It’s not just about the physical sensations, although as you’ve just discovered, those are very good.  But that’s sex.  Making love, being with someone you love in a sexual way?  That’s more about wanting to please the other person, and taking pleasure from that.”

            Blake’s frown deepened.  “But you’re mine!  I want to please you!”

            “Heh, you did, buddy, trust me!  I…  Hey!”

            Blake had gotten up and pushed Adam’s shoulders, shoving him back onto the bed.  His hands were busy undoing Adam’s jeans.  “You don’t have to do this,” Adam cautioned, even as he felt himself growing rock hard.

            “I want more!”

            “Blake, you…  Gah!  Oh fuck, holy shit, Blake, where the hell did you learn to do that?”

            Blake couldn’t answer.  His mouth was doing some amazing things to Adam.  Blake was a fast learner, and apparently very creative, as well.  Not content with simply pushing Adam’s jeans down, Blake had them both naked in moments and was busy with what he’d discovered by removing Adam’s clothing.  Adam was already dancing near the edge when Blake suddenly stopped, looking up at him.

            “What?” Adam asked.  He was having some difficulty thinking, but couldn’t read Blake’s expression.

            Blake had his head cocked to one side, looking serious as he stared at Adam.  “Your words are stupid sometimes.  Are you really… mine?”

            Adam blinked.  “Dammit Blake, of course I’m yours!  How could you even ask that now?  I’m here, with you, and we’re together in the most intimate way we can be.  Believe me, I’m yours!”

            The big man considered this, looking at Adam as he chewed his lower lip.  “Can I keep you?” he asked finally.  “If I stay, can I keep you?  Will you always be mine?”

            Adam groaned.  “Blake, you can keep me no matter what you do!  I’m yours, completely yours and yours alone!  I promise you that, ok?  I’m yours and I always will be, and you don’t have to do anything or make any promises to keep me!  All I ask is that you love me.  Love me, Blake, and I will be yours for as long as I live!”

            It was apparently what Blake wanted to hear.  His eyes darkened as he looked at Adam.  Climbing up onto the mattress, he pushed Adam back down as the smaller man tried to sit up.  His hands moved to Adam’s hair, combing through it and then moving to trace his fingers over Adam’s ears and his face, down his neck to his shoulders.  Everywhere he touched, Adam tingled.  He eagerly reached up towards Blake, but to his surprise, Blake frowned, caught his arms, and roughly pushed them back down. 

            Adam grew still.  Blake went back to touching him, his fingers tracing down over Adam’s biceps, lingering over his tattoos and moving to his elbows.  Then once more he frowned.  Adam hadn’t even realized he’d reached up for Blake again until Blake again caught his arms.  This time he crossed Adam’s wrists together and pinned them firmly above Adam’s head, holding them in place with one hand.  Then the other went back to exploring.

            Adam grew still once more.  Blake, he realized, had never before had the opportunity to explore his body.  He was doing so now, tracing his fingers along every inch of exposed skin, exploring Adam’s every nook and cranny, and apparently he didn’t want Adam to distract him from what he was doing.  It wasn’t in Adam’s nature to lie still with his lovers.  But Blake didn’t seem to care, and probably didn’t understand enough to know there was anything unusual about what he was doing.  Once again, Adam had forgotten just how literal he was.  He’d given himself to Blake, and now it seemed that Blake wanted to fully examine his new treasure.  Adam wasn’t being given an option to protest.  He wasn’t being permitted to do anything except lie there and let it happen.

            He suddenly realized he didn’t care.  No one had ever touched him like this, had worshipped every inch of his body the way Blake was doing now.  And there was nothing behind it but love.  This wasn’t a show of dominance or any attempt by Blake to exert his will over Adam’s.  In Blake’s eyes, Adam was his to do with as he pleased.  Blake’s thinking was straight forward, leaving no room for doubt or questions.  He acted solely on instinct, handling Adam as he saw fit, rolling him onto his side so he could explore his back before pushing him back down again, doing exactly what he wanted to do as he wished to do it, and never considered that he might be judged for it later.  It was innocent, instinctual, and almost savage.

            It also had to be the sexiest thing Adam had ever experienced in his life.

            Blake’s gentle touches were slowly making him unravel.  He relaxed, becoming still and pliant, letting Blake take him apart, doing nothing but feel, experience these amazing sensations as Blake continued to explore his body.  Blake moved further down until he was forced to let go of Adam’s wrists.  He frowned as he did so, glowering at Adam when he let him go.  But Adam didn’t move.  He simply lay as he was, looking down at Blake.  Satisfied, Blake went back to discovering every inch of Adam, this time with both hands stroking, probing, and caressing.  His face bore an expression of childlike wonder.

            By the time Blake reached the soles of his feet, gently tracing his fingers along the arches, Adam was ready to go out of his mind.  Holding perfectly still was bad enough normally.  With what Blake was doing it was twice as hard.  Now Blake was moving back up, gently tracing the inside of Adam’s legs, stroking behind his knees, and carefully moving up his thighs.  Adam couldn’t bite back a whimper, the strain of holding perfectly still and letting Blake handle him combined with what he was feeling making his body tremble with exertion.  And then one hand wrapped around his shaft and gently squeezed even as a finger probed into his opening, and Adam broke.  He cried out, his hands flying down to clutch at Blake’s shoulders.  And once again, Blake pinned them back above his head with a frown.  Adam whimpered.  Blake patiently held him down for a moment, making sure Adam got the message, and only went back to his ministrations when Adam was still once more.

            Adam was coming undone, and he couldn’t keep quiet.  Cries and moans of pleasure filled the air as Blake played with him like a toy, experimenting and watching Adam’s face to see what he liked, his lips set in a delighted smile.  Adam thought he would go insane if it went on much longer.  His body shook beneath Blake’s hands and mouth, sweat pouring from his pores as he gasped for air.  “Please!” he begged.  “Please, but don’t hurt me, Blake.  Please, that stupid bag, it’s still in the corner, please!”

            At first, Blake looked confused.  Then he got up, fetched the bag that had caused so much trouble only a few days ago, and handed it to Adam.  Adam dug into it with shaking hands.  He opened a condom, popping it into his mouth and quickly applying it to Blake.  That made Blake’s eyes go very wide.  Then Adam opened the lube.  “You need to open me, and this will help if…”

            Blake took the tube out of Adam’s hands and pushed him back, once again pinning Adam’s hands above his head and holding him until Adam stilled.  Adam trembled, watching as Blake fumbled with the tube, applying lubricant to his first two fingers.  Then he gently pushed them inside of Adam.

            Adam very nearly went over the edge as the long fingers circled his prostate.  He hissed, feeling the slight burn as Blake pressed down, stretching him.  Blake immediately froze.  “It’s ok,” Adam whispered.  “It’s ok, Blake, please, please don’t stop!”

            Just like he did with everything else, Blake learned fast.  Then he paused, his eyes sweeping over Adam’s body.  Adam lay still, looking back at Blake as the blue eyes drank him in.  “You’re beautiful,” Adam whispered.

            “You’re beautiful.”  Blake reached out a hand and gently stroked Adam’s face.  He moved forward, wrapping his arms around Adam.  And then he rolled his hips, thrusting forward into him.

            Adam gasped, his eyes opening wide as he felt himself breached for the first time.  It wasn’t anything like he’d imagined it would be.  But nothing about this entire experience was what he’d imagined it would be, and that was what made it special.  Blake drew back, shifted slightly, and thrust forward again, his expression delighted as he enjoyed the sensation with no thought of shame or self-restraint.  Adam moaned and did the same.  Wrapped in his lover’s arms, held tight against Blake’s chest, Adam felt loved like he’d never felt before.  Beyond the physical, it was like a joining of souls, as if two parts of the same whole had found each other at last.  He dared to wrap his arms around Blake’s neck and pull their lips together.

            This time, Blake allowed it, eagerly meeting Adam’s kisses.  “I want this,” Blake was saying against Adam’s mouth.  “I want to keep you!  I want to stay like this, be with you!  Can I?”

            “Yes, please, stay with me!”

            Their bodies rocked together and Adam went over the edge.  A short time later, Blake did as well.  Then they simply lay there, tangled together and staring into each other’s eyes.

            “I want to stay with you,” Blake said again.  “I want to be human, with you.”

            Adam sucked in his breath.  “Blake, are you sure?” he asked.  “I know if you’re feeling even half of what I am right now that we work real well together, but you’d be giving up so much!”

            “I don’t care.  What I’m getting is worth everything I’d lose.”

            That was all the more Adam needed to hear.  He let out a small cry and sobbed, burying his face into Blake’s shoulder.  “It’s alright,” he called as Blake stiffened in alarm.  “There’s different kinds of crying, too.  Sometimes, Blake?  People cry because we’re so happy.  You’ve made me so happy, baby, I love you so much!”

            “I love you, too.”  Blake’s lips dotted over Adam’s cheeks, and he realized that Blake was kissing his tears away.  “Happy crying?”

            Adam clung to him.  “Very, very happy crying!”


	35. Built For Each Other

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adam is happy with their new relationship, but fears Blake is giving up too much for him. Blake has a puzzling reaction when Adam questions him about his divine mission.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Got more artwork, squee!! Check it out in "Darkest Night," look for the underlined link near the end of the chapter!

            By Saturday, their apartment was set up with new furniture.  They’d gone shopping for more clothes for Blake, polished his fancy black boots and put them away.  Blake now sported new brown leather cowboy boots that Adam assured him looked incredibly sexy.

            Blake had been restless and didn’t want to stay in the apartment, so Adam took him out.  They’d gone to the zoo.  In retrospect, that may have been a mistake.  Everywhere they went, crowds pressed against them, leaving them no privacy with each other.  The problem was that every time Blake approached an enclosure, the animals would immediately come over.  At first it was charming, the way the giraffes would lean over to nibble at Blake’s hair or the elephants would stretch out their trunks to touch him.  But the other visitors at the zoo pressed in, eager for a rare chance to touch the animals, and inadvertently crowded Blake and Adam.  Blake didn’t seem to mind, but Adam was scowling by the time they stopped to indulge in some ice cream treats.

            Taking their ice cream, Adam sat down with Blake at a table beneath a pavilion away from the crowds.  Even the pigeons seemed interested in Blake.  They were still scattered around hunting for food, but between squabbles over meals they were all perching close to the angel.  The fact that they were crowding into the support beams for the pavilion over their heads made Adam anxious about what might come down from above.

            “Well, at least that’s a viable career option,” Adam suggested, trying to find a bright side.  “I’ll call Shakira Monday morning, see if she can’t help you with paperwork.  Since we’ll obviously never find an identity, she should know how to help us make a new one for you, or guide us to someone else who does.  Then we can get you enrolled in some adult education classes.  Once you’ve got your GED, we could look at getting you some training to be a groomer or a veterinary assistant, something working with animals.”  He chuckled.  “I think that childcare is pretty much out, buddy.”

            “Alright.”  Blake was focused on a huge banana split, savoring every bite with his usual enthusiasm.

            Adam smiled, watching him.  But his smile quickly faded as he processed his thoughts.  “When the warlocks let you go, what will happen?” he asked when Blake looked at him.  “Do you know?”

            Blake paused for a moment between bites.  “I’ll let go,” he said.

            “Let go?  Of your powers, you mean?”

            Blake nodded.  “I can’t keep them as a human, Adam.  I can only use them now because of what the warlocks did to me.  The binding spell, it keeps me trapped between angel and human.  It helps me hide from demons, but it means I can’t go back to Heaven.  When they let me go, it will be different.  I have to choose between angel and human.”  He smiled at Adam.  “I choose human.”

            Adam reached across the table and clung to Blake’s hand.  “I’m glad, Blake.  But I’m scared, too, and worried about what will happen to you.  If you become human, all this, like today with the animals and stuff, that will stop, right?”

            “I don’t know,” Blake admitted.  “They know what I am now, but maybe not when I’m human.  But I know I won’t have my wings.”

            “Yeah.”  Adam squeezed Blake’s hand.  “I gotta tell you, I’m gonna miss those.  But you’re amazing all on your own, with or without them.  Just…  Will you miss it?  Not just your wings, but everything about being an angel?”  He paused, and then plunged ahead.  “I want to make sure you really think about this, Big Country.  I get the feeling that this isn’t a choice you can change your mind about later if things don’t work out the way you planned.  Once you let go of your powers, they’re not coming back, are they?”

            Blake shook his head, looking serious.  “No.  I’ll be human until I die.”

            “And that will be, what, the range of your natural life?”

            “I won’t know that any more than you do,” Blake said.  He was poking with his spoon at his ice cream now, frowning.  “Why are you asking me this, Rockstar?  You’re mine now, and I want to be with you, so I can keep you.  I know what I’m giving up, but it’s worth it to me.”  He looked up, troubled.  “Don’t you want me to stay?”

            “Of course I want you to stay!  I just don’t want a day to come a few years down the road when we have a huge screaming fight and you resent me, regret that you gave up everything you were for me.  But I don’t know how I can keep that from happening.”

            Blake’s eyes were very blue as he looked at Adam.  “Humans aren’t meant to know.  They make choices and live each day as it comes because that’s what life is, Adam.  Not even angels know the divine plan, just the part we’re assigned to.  You know what I regret?  I regret that I had to complete my mission.  I regret that I did what I had to do, because I know what’s going to happen.  I didn’t have a choice.  But I don’t care, because I have a choice now.  If I become human, I can do what I need to do.”

            Adam narrowed his eyes.  “Blake?  Don’t me you’re thinking about interfering with your own divine mission!”

            Blake nodded, looking pleased.  “Alright!” he said, going back to his ice cream.

            Adam stared at him, blinking in confusion.  Blake was back to his sunny, bubbly self, enjoying his ice cream with gusto.  Adam shook his head, thought about what he’d just said and how literal the angel was, and tried again.  “Blake?” he asked.  “Are you thinking about interfering with your own divine mission?”

            Blake frowned.  “You told me not to tell you that!”

            “Dammit, Blake!  Are you planning to interfere with your own divine mission?”

            “Yes!”

            “Why?”

            “Because I choose to!”  Blake pounded a fist angrily on the table as he yelled, drawing looks all around them.  “Because I have free will and I can make a choice when I didn’t have it before!”

            “Ok, ok, calm down,” Adam soothed.  “Just talk to me, ok?”

            “I don’t want to talk about this anymore,” Blake grumbled.  His face was still flushed and upset.  He stabbed at the banana in his treat with his spoon and shoved it in his mouth.

            Adam raised his hands in surrender.  “Alright, backing off.  You’re right.  It’s your life, your free will, and your choice.  I will support whatever you do.  But understand, this actually scares me more than the warlocks!  So as your boyfriend who loves you, I would like to say one thing and have you listen to me, and then I’ll drop the subject.  Alright?”

            Blake put down his spoon and sat back.  The blue eyes were cold as he looked at Adam, but at least he was listening.

            Adam took a moment to collect his thoughts before speaking.  “You’re right, what you said about life, that it’s meant to be lived without knowing the divine plan.  As humans, we take a chance with every breath we take.  The choices we make lead us down roads that may someday end up hurting us, or hurting the people who matter the most to us, and that’s part of living.  That’s a tough concept to grasp, so honestly I’m surprised you understand it so well.  But at the same time, you being what you are, you look at the world very differently than someone like me who was born human.  So let me give you a human’s perspective.  Blake, you came here with a divine mission.  And to complete that mission, you were provided with a certain amount of knowledge, an insight into the divine plan that included a glimpse of the future.  Now you’ve decided you want to be human, but you want to act on the knowledge that you were given as an angel?  That’s cheating, buddy.  Look, every human at some point in his or her life looks back and says, ‘If I’d known then what I know how, I’d do it all differently.’  But that’s not how life works, ok?  Life is about taking chances and rolling the dice.  It’s precisely what makes the good things in life so precious, because a single misstep, a single bad decision, can take it all away.  I have to believe that the divine plan is there to make life better in the end, even if it means pain and heartache along the way.  Now, you have an insider’s edge, Blake.  You can see what happens if that final domino in the chain you set up falls, and it’s obvious that it’s not an ending you agree with.  You want to stop it, and I get that.  You’re probably thinking that you started something, and now you want to act to change what you started.  I can see how that must look very appealing to you, and it does make a certain degree of sense.  You can choose to act in a way that undoes everything you’ve done.  That’s your decision.  But if you do that?  If you intentionally try to disrupt the divine plan you were sent here to put into motion?  How are you any different than the demons upsetting the table?”

            That got through to Blake.  Adam saw his eyes go wide for a moment.  Then they squeezed shut.  “You don’t know what you’re asking,” he said, his voice barely a whisper.  “You don’t know what’s coming!”

            “I never knew,” Adam said simply.  “I didn’t know before you came into my life.  Why should I know now?”  He squeezed Blake’s hand again.  “Blake, you were sent here to put something into motion.  If you want to live as a human, I mean, really live as a human?  Then it seems to me that this is your first real test.  This is how humans live – on faith.  How’s your faith, Blake?”

            Blake went very still.  Then he slumped, his head dropped, and he seemed to almost fold in on himself.  “I don’t know if I can do this,” he groaned.  “But if it’s what you think is best?  Then I’ll try.”

            That made Adam worry, but not nearly as much as the thought that the angel might try to intentionally interfere in his own divine mission.  Something told Adam that would have been disastrous.  He leaned forward, bringing Blake’s hand to his lips.  “Whatever happens, I’m here,” he vowed.  “What you sang, about how it wasn’t an accident that we met?  I believe it.  You said yourself you don’t know all of the divine plan.  And the way you came into my life and made it all so much better?  I think we were meant to be, baby, I really do!”

            That made Blake smile.  “I do, too.”

            Somehow, it seemed that said it all.

            They finished their ice cream and headed to the aquarium.  Even here, everywhere Blake went, the animals came close, clusters of fish swimming frantically against the glass, an octopus climbing up the side, and even sharks swimming back and forth when Blake stood near their tank.  It was starting to draw some puzzled looks and pointing fingers.  Finally, Adam took Blake’s hand and led him out and back to the car.

            “Do you want to go somewhere else?” Adam asked as he started the engine.

            “With you,” was Blake’s unhelpful response.

            Adam thought for a moment.  Then he grinned.  “I have an idea.”

****

            The amusement park wasn’t too crowded, despite the nice weather.  But that suited Adam just fine.  It meant that the lines weren’t very long.  Blake seemed to enjoy himself, although he didn’t seem to find the high adrenaline rides like the roller coasters all that exciting.  Having flown with the angel, Adam found that the coasters had lost a certain amount of their appeal as well.  But the bumper boats were something they enjoyed so much they returned to the line again and again.  Blake had gotten the hang of steering his boat quickly.  Then he chased Adam mercilessly.  Adam enjoyed ramming into strangers and for the most part so did Blake.  But time and again, he looked up only to see Blake gunning towards him, a wicked grin on his face and a wave of water at his bow ready to drench his victim.

            By the time they left the ride behind they were both thoroughly soaked.

            They played a round of mini golf to help dry off.  Blake was annoyingly good at it, which immediately set off Adam’s competitive streak.  The two challenged each other at the ball toss, the shooting gallery, and several other games until Adam finally managed to come out on top in their overall scores at the end of the day.  But from the pleased smile on Blake’s face as Adam strutted back to the parking lot with a new stuffed animal he planned to give Leesha, Adam couldn’t help but wonder if maybe, just maybe, Blake had allowed him to win?

            Nope, Adam decided.  He’d won fair and square.

            Adam supposed he shouldn’t have been surprised when Blake immediately grabbed him and pushed him down onto their new bed as soon as they were back inside.  They’d already broken the bed in, but Blake couldn’t seem to get enough of Adam.  Adam had no complaints.  Things were just starting to get interesting when Adam’s phone rang.  Cursing, he squirmed free long enough to grab it.  “Whoever you are, this better be good!” he warned.

            “Hello, Mr. Levine.  How is our angel?  Is it nice and healthy again?”

            Adam sat up immediately.  “Daly.”

            “Yes,” Carson confirmed.  “How is it?”

            “ _He_ is fine!” Adam snapped.  “ _He_ has made a few decisions, none of which involve you assholes, and you are going to leave _him_ the fuck alone!”

            “We won’t touch it, Mr. Levine,” Carson assured.  “We have an agreement, after all, and we fully intend to keep that agreement.  But you will give us the angel before the deadline, in keeping with that same contract.  Incidentally, Frank wasn’t sure about its pant size.  What size waist does it wear?”

            “Fuck you!  What the fuck are you doing, going shopping for him?  You are _never_ going to have Blake, do you hear me?”

            “What I hear is that you are being very rude.”

            “Oh, you have no idea how rude I can be!” Adam snarled. 

            “Fine.  The other reason I called you was to give you our address.  You should write it down.”

            “What?”

            “Our address.  Write it down, so you know where to come to get the binding spell off.”

            “Oh for fuck’s sake, I’m not going to…!”

            “Mr. Levine?  Even if the angel is able to keep from using its powers, you’ll still have to come to us,” Carson explained patiently.  “Unless you want to keep it bound, that is?  We can certainly arrange for…”

            “Alright, just a minute!”  Adam found a pen and paper and wrote down the address.  “Just so you know?  Blake’s made his choice.  He wants to live as a human, and…”

            “What?  Live as a human?”  The warlock laughed.  “Hey Usher, the angel said it wants to live as a human!”  Usher laughed and said something in the background, but Adam couldn’t make it out.  Carson laughed again.  “Usher wants you to know if you’re going to get it a social security number and have it pay taxes,” he reported.

            “As a matter of fact, yes!” Adam shot back.  “We’ll do that.  And he can get a GED and go to school too, smartass!  Blake’s going to be just fine.  We’re together now, and there’s not a damned thing you can do to come between us.  And if you ever, ever come near him, I swear I will fucking end you!”

            Carson hesitated for a moment.  “You’re together?  Next you’re going to tell me you’re sleeping with it!”

            Adam didn’t answer.

            On the phone, Carson gasped.  “Holy shit, you’re sleeping with it!  You’re actually sleeping with it!  Now that is really something, isn’t it?  It’s like you actually think it can become human!  Tell me, do you plan to marry it?”

            Adam hung up and threw the phone across the room.

            Blake was lying quietly on his back on the bed.  His eyes were troubled.  “They’re going to take me, aren’t they?” he asked.  “They’re never going to let me go!”

            “No way!”  Adam rolled over and lay on top of him.  He cupped the back of Blake’s head and leaned down to kiss him.  “Look at me.  I will not let them take you, alright?  I don’t know what they’re planning, but it’s Saturday night now, and they’re obviously feeling nervous or they wouldn’t have called me and tried to provoke me like that!  It shows they’re not as confident as they were.  That’s good, baby!”

            Blake looked unconvinced.  “Let me up.”

            Adam sighed and got off of him.  The mood was obviously gone, much to his disappointment.  Blake sat at the edge of the bed looking unhappy as he absently rubbed at one wrist, and then the other.

            Adam crawled over and lay so his head was next to the angel, looking up at him.  He gently took one of Blake’s arms and kissed the inside of his wrist where he remembered the manacle being.  “I see golden manacles and chains,” he said.  “Leesha saw stars, Carson lines of force, Usher blue ribbons and Frank barbed wire.  We all saw something different.  But what do you see?”

            “Pain,” Blake said simply.  “I see pain that won’t let me go.”

            Adam kissed his wrist again.  “We’ll get you free of it.  I promise.”

            Blake didn’t respond.

            Neither of them said much after that.  They showered and went to bed, Adam once more convincing Blake to let himself sleep, just to be sure he was healed.  This time, Blake went to sleep almost immediately.  Adam lay awake for a time, lying on his side with one arm and a leg wrapped over Blake, watching as he slept.  Then finally, he, too, fell into a troubled sleep.

            It seemed like he’d barely slept five minutes when the sound of his phone ringing woke him up, but the early morning sun was shining in the window.  Adam groaned.  He got up, searched, and found his phone.  “Hello?” he said sleepily.

            “Adam!”

            It was Pharrell, and the fear in his voice instantly woke Adam up.  “Pharrell!  What is it?”

            “It’s Leesha!” his friend exclaimed.  “I need you and Blake to come over here, right now!”

            “Ok, we’re coming!”  Adam was already hopping around on one leg, pulling on his jeans and nodding to Blake to encourage the sleepy angel to do the same.  “What’s wrong?  Is she hurt?”

            “I don’t know!”  Pharrell was crying now.  “She’s gone, Adam!  She came running into our room, screaming and crying about a monster, and then she just vanished right in front of our eyes!  We need Blake, buddy, and we need him right now!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mr. Fun said it's very interesting that Blake was so adamant about wanting to sabotage his own divine mission. Thinks maybe Blake wants to take over for Frank himself?
> 
> Said the warlocks are playing dirty pool. Had a great deal of violent advice for Adam, including that he should shoot them repeatedly in the genitals with a pellet gun.


	36. Signed in Blood

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adam and Blake race to rescue Leesha, but have a surprise waiting for them at Pharrell's

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the delay! I was absolutely knackered when I got home last night and largely faceplanted into my bed. Hopefully I will have the next chapter up at the usual time. Getting very near the end now!

            “I’ll gather the troops and have them meet outside Daly and Raymond’s place, but there’s a couple of things you should know,” Frank told Adam over the handsfree in the car.  “First, going up against warlocks on their home turf is exactly how I lost a lot of friends when we cleared out the last ones.  There is no place on Earth that is more fortified against everything we can throw at it, and it’s not like we can send angels in there with swords flying.  The demons won’t want to be involved either, but the warlocks have them enslaved.  They’ll fight to the death to protect their masters because they’ll have no other choice.”

            “So we don’t get otherworldly help, but they do,” Adam called.  “Sounds about right.”

            “And there’s one other thing.”  Frank’s voice suddenly sounded old and tired.  “Adam, my time is almost over, and the girls have already gone on.  They left me shortly after you went out with Blake.”

            That was not something Adam had expected to hear.  “What?  The girls are gone?  So, if you go up against the warlocks…”

            “…I’ll be just as vulnerable to those damned demons as anyone else,” Frank finished.  “And it won’t stop me, boy!  I am coming to help that little girl.”

            “Thank you, Frank,” Adam said humbly.  “Is there anything you need?”

            “First, I need to see where this happened and speak with the parents so we can make sure they and any other kids in that house are safe.  Give me the address.”

            Adam rattled off Pharrell’s address.  “Frank, I want you to know how much I appreciate this.  I wasn’t too sure about you at first, especially when you told me to consider letting them have Blake!  But you really are everything a paladin should be.”

            “A what?”

            “Heh, never mind.  I’ll meet you at Pharrell’s.  And thank you again.”

            “Don’t mention it.”

            Adam hung up.  He wouldn’t, couldn’t, glance over at Blake.  From the corner of his eye, he saw Blake’s pale face.  It matched Adam’s own.  Adam knew if the warlocks had really sent their demons after Leesha, then Blake wouldn’t hesitate to fight them with all he had, no matter the consequences.  But with Frank’s guardian angels gone, Adam’s best hope at getting Blake back if the warlocks took him away was gone as well.

            Adam dared to take one hand off of the wheel long enough to reach over and squeeze Blake’s hand.  Then it was back to driving as quickly as he could, ignoring speed limits and any stop signs or red lights he could squeeze through in his desperate bid to reach Pharrell’s.  His heart pounded in his chest.  He was afraid, but more than that he was angry, angrier than he’d ever been in his life.  Bad enough that Carson and Usher threatened the man he loved.  But to involve a sweet, innocent little girl that Adam loved like his own daughter?  _I’ll kill them,_ he thought.  _If Leesha has so much as a scratch, I will fucking kill them with my bare hands, and I don’t care if I die trying!_

            He couldn’t let himself think about what would happen if Blake used his powers to save Leesha.  He couldn’t let his mind picture Blake locked up in a cage.  If it happened, Adam didn’t care what contract he’d signed.  He would find a way to free Blake if it cost him his own soul.

            The drive only lasted minutes, but it felt like an eternity.  Blake was out of the car and running for the house before Adam was completely in the driveway.  He quickly parked and was right on Blake’s heels as the angel shoved his way into the house.  As a result, when Blake suddenly stopped, Adam ran right into him.

            There were Pharrell and Jenny, seated at their table in matching blue satin pajamas, coffee in one hand and parts of the Sunday paper in the other.  They both froze as they were, staring in surprise at the two men who had just barged through their door.  Jerome, who had opened the door for them, had been scooped up into Blake’s arms while his brother peered around the corner from the living room with wide, surprised eyes.

            And then a tiny voice yelled “Adam!”

            Adam had never been so glad to be glomped by an excited, messy-faced little girl in all his life.  He scooped Leesha up into his arms and held her, held her, face buried in her snarled hair, hearing her laugh as she peppered his face and neck with sticky kisses.  “You’re squishing me!” she giggled.  “We’re having fluffernutters, you want one?”

            “I just want my Leesha,” Adam managed.  “Pharrell…?”

            “Ok, something just went down, and it involves my little girl, and you boys have five seconds to tell me what it is!” Jenny warned.  She was up, her remaining son in her arms, looking fearfully from Blake to Adam and back.

            Adam couldn’t bring himself to let Leesha go.  He held her tight, ignoring her giggling and squirming while Blake explained what had happened.  By the time he’d finished and Pharrell and Jenny were dressed and in an uproar, Frank had arrived and was quickly filled in.

            “They used the same trick on me twice, and completely fooled me both times!” Adam growled, finally forcing himself to let Leesha go.  “Why?”

            “They’ve got us all in one place now,” Pharrell pointed out.  He and his wife had quickly dressed and both were busy putting the plywood barriers in place on the windows.  “They messed with the wrong family!  We’re prepared for these bastards now!  But just to be sure, kids, you stay close to Blake.  You mind me, now!  Blake, I know what it means and I hate to ask you, but these are my babies, man!”

            “It’s alright,” Blake said as the suddenly somber children gathered near him.  “I won’t let anything hurt them.”

            “Look, we put wards against demons on the plywood, see?” Jenny announced.  “And we stocked up on religious symbols and holy water.  Just to be sure, I got my daddy’s shotgun Friday night, and I got two boxes of shells.  These motherfuckers are _not_ getting my family without a fight!”

            “Mommy said a bad word!” Paul whispered.  The little boy’s eyes were huge as he clung to Blake’s hand.  Blake smiled down at him.

            “Frank, did you see anything on the way in?” Adam asked.

            “No, and I was looking,” the old man replied.  “I have to say, I’m puzzled.  I expected the place to be surrounded by demons to force Blake to have to fight them.  But there isn’t a single one in sight.  I have no idea what those two wily monsters are up to.  Something’s not right.  I’m worried about the people waiting back at their condo.”

            “We’ll head out there soon enough.”  Adam had picked up Leesha again.  Part of him couldn’t believe that the little girl was really here and alright.  Leesha, worried now that her parents were obviously upset, clung to his neck.  Blake stood near him, holding the hands of the two anxious little boys, his eyes fixed on Leesha.

            Frank had been busy texting with his people at the warlocks’ condo.  Now he raised an eyebrow, looking at them.  “You boys are planning to come make a stand with us?”

            “You’re damned right!” Adam snapped.  “They never should have come near Pharrell’s family.  I was ready to kill them before, but now they’ve made a worse enemy out of me than they’ve ever had!  You want someone to pass your mantle on to, Frank?  Look no further.  Give it to me, and I swear, I’ll do whatever I have to do to make sure those bastards never ever hurt anyone else!”

            Frank’s eyes widened.  “I believe you would, son,” he said.  “You’d do a good job of it, too.  With you leading our people, I think you might even find a way to keep those monsters in human form out of the neighborhood for good.  But you’re not the one, Adam.  God knows I wish you were, but you’re just not.  That, I know for sure.  You don’t have a pair of guardians, but more importantly, you want this out of a place of anger and revenge.  To take my place, you need to come out of a place of love.  Right now, you’re not there.”

            “Then whoever you do give it to had better stay out of my way,” Adam warned.  “I may be just a man, but those bastards threatened everything I hold dear.  I’ve got nothing left to lose.”

            “I’m with you,” Blake called.  The blue eyes were fierce as they looked at Adam.  “I don’t care if they take me, I’m going to fight!”  His eyes fell on Leesha and grew gentle once more.  The little girl’s eyes were filling with tears as she clung to Adam.  “Don’t worry,” he soothed.  “Adam and I will stop the bad people, and your mom and dad will protect you while we do.”

            “Ok,” Leesha hiccupped.  She let go of Adam long enough to reach over, grab Blake’s head, and plant a kiss on his cheek.  “I love you!”

            “Aww, don’t you love me anymore?” Adam chuckled.  “I thought we were going to be married!”

            “I want to marry you both!”

            “Two-timer!” Adam laughed.  “Pharrell, what are you teaching this girl?”

            “Right now, I’m teaching her that her mom and dad are ready to kick some serious ass,” Pharrell called, setting up the last of the plywood shields.  “Woman, you look sexy as hell with that shotgun!”

            “You know it, mister!”  Jenny cradled the shotgun in her arms, careful to keep it pointed away from anyone.  “Ok, Frank, my daddy was in the military, and I know how to follow orders.  So give us some orders, general!”

            “First, I need to go out there and see what’s going on,” Frank declared.  “With your wards and everything else you’ve got in here, I think your family will be safe enough.  But I’m not leaving here until I’m sure.  Something just is not right about this whole thing and I can’t put my finger on it.  I think a little recon is in order.”

            “I’ll come with you,” Adam offered.  “Blake, would you stay inside with the kids?”

            Blake nodded.  “Alright.”

            Adam kissed Leesha’s head once more, and wiped off the peanut butter and marshmallow fluff residue that still decorated his face and neck.  Leesha grabbed Blake’s hand and snagged Adam’s and immediately started to wail, digging in her heels to try to keep Adam from leaving.  The two men quickly bent down, soothing and reassuring the little girl until she finally calmed enough to let go.  [Blake picked her up and gently rocked her as she clung to him, her tearful eyes still on Adam.](https://funtimewriter.tumblr.com/post/161642208302/blake-adam-and-leesha-in-full-color-and-this-time)

            When Adam looked up, Frank was looking between him and Blake and Leesha, a funny expression on his face.  He raised an eyebrow.  “What?”

            “Nothing,” Frank replied.  “Just a passing thought, pay me no mind.”  He clapped Adam on the shoulder.  “Let’s check things out.”

            Outside, it was shaping up to be another beautiful morning.  The neighborhood was calm and peaceful.  The only movement was a jogger a block away who had stopped to tie his shoe before going back to his exercise.  But of course, Adam knew he wouldn’t be able to see the real threat.  “Anything?” he asked Frank.

            Frank was looking all around, narrowing his eyes as he peered into every nook and cranny.  But he shook his head.  “Nothing.  Not so much as an imp.  It doesn’t make sense.  They made that call, got the two of you out here.  They knew you’d been in contact with me, and had to expect that you’d call me out here as well.  But there’s nothing out here, and my people at the condo are telling me it’s quiet as the grave out there, too.”

            “Ok, this is almost as bad as actually fighting,” Adam complained.

            Frank chuckled.  “Sometimes, the real test is waiting, son.  And we’re all tested.  Even angels have their tests.”

            “Yeah, well, I’m about to fail the test of patience,” Adam grumbled, stepping aside to let the jogger pass.  “There’s got to be something we’re not seeing!  Maybe…”

            At first, Adam thought the jogger had simply bumped clumsily into him.  An “excuse me” was already on Adam’s lips as the jogger turned and bolted down the street to jump into a waiting vehicle.  But as the vehicle tore off in a scream of spinning tires, Adam looked down and saw the knife that the man had just plunged into his stomach.  Already his shirt was dark with blood.  Shocked, Adam instinctively grabbed the handle of the knife and pulled it free.  The result was a massive increase in bleeding, blood pouring out with every beat of his heart.  “Frank?” he called weakly, letting the knife drop.

            Frank, still watching for demons, hadn’t even realized anything had happened.  But his eyes grew wide when he looked at Adam.  He screamed something back at the house, Adam wasn’t sure what.  The world was going grey, tilting to the side.  There was no pain, only a coldness that started at his wound and spread out, encompassing his body.  Somewhere in the distance someone was screaming.

            And then everything was still and quiet.  Adam was wrapped in the softest blanket, white and shimmering.  A strong arm held him close, his head rested against a shoulder.  Blue eyes looked down at him.  A hand pressed against his wound, and almost immediately, the coldness receded.  There was pain, then, and a burning sensation that made him cry out.  But that was fading, too.

            Adam looked up and saw Blake.  The angle cradled him against his chest with one arm, wings wrapped around him and one hand pressed against Adam’s wound.  Beneath Blake’s hand, the wound in Adam’s stomach had healed.  Somewhere, Adam could hear the sound of a phone ringing, hear Frank’s voice answering.  But over it all, even over Blake’s loving song, Adam could hear the rattle of chains.  “No.  _No!_   Blake, you shouldn’t have done it!”

            _“My choice.”_   The bloody hand rose, gently stroked Adam’s cheek.  Then the wings folded back, bringing them both back into the real world.  But the rattle of chains continued.  All around them was an ominous purple glow as Blake helped him to his feet.

            “Adam?” Frank asked quietly.  “Carson would like to know if you’re alright.”

            Adam sputtered.  He looked down, stared for a moment at the chain that protruded from his chest.  The links faded out a few inches from his chest.  He lifted his shirt, seeing the intact skin.  Despite the fact that he was covered in blood, there was no sign of the terrible wound.

            “He’s alright,” Frank said into the phone.  “Get it over with.”

            Blake cried out as his right arm was suddenly jerked forward.  “No!”  His wings opened again, beating frantically as he fought against the chain.  Adam ran to him, tried to grab hold, but his arms passed through Blake as if he were a mirage.

            “Don’t fight it, Blake!” Frank cautioned, putting his phone away and looking sadly at the struggling angel.  “It will only tear you apart.  They won this battle, but the war is not over yet!”

            “I’m coming for you!” Adam vowed.  “I swear I won’t let them keep you.  I’m coming, Blake!”

            _“Adam, I love you!”_

            “I love you, too!”

            Blake struggled a bit more, his eyes on Adam.  And then he was jerked forward and was gone.  The purple light vanished as well, leaving only the familiar street.

            A loud sob came from the doorway of Pharrell’s house.  “He’s real!” Jenny cried.  Her hands clutched the shotgun, but her eyes were filled with tears.  “I believed it, I mean, I knew he was an angel, but to actually see him?”

            “You saw him, too?”  It was the pregnant neighbor.  Her eyes were huge as she stared at the spot where Blake had been.  “I thought I’d lost my mind!”

            “It’s a long story,” Frank called.  “Suffice to say that the reason you could see him was the purple light and that the reason for it being here was not a good one.  Adam, are you alright?”

            “I,” Adam declared, “am very, very far from alright.”  He pulled out his phone, dug out one of the cards the warlocks had given him under their Homeland Security guise, and dialed.

            Carson answered quickly.  “Levine!  The angel would have healed you, of course, so I’ll assume you’re no longer injured.  Sorry about that.  Are you on your way?  We need to get that spell off of you.”

            “Hear me now,” Adam said.  “You have just made the last mistake of your miserable existence!  I’m coming, alright.  But I’m not leaving without Blake!”

            “Our angel is safely locked up in its cage, and throwing quite the fuss,” Carson informed him.  “I actually had to step outside so I could hear when you called.  I’m sorry for what we had to do.  We gave you plenty of time to give it to us, Levine, but you obviously were attached and simply could not let it go.  But now all is well.  Please tell the Williams family that we are very sorry to have frightened them, and that we would never harm an innocent little girl!  Even those we’ve sacrificed through the years were nearly all derelicts and convicts, the dredges of society.  But I’m afraid the ruse was necessary, as we simply had no idea where you were.  Every time we thought we had you, you’d vanished again.  There wasn’t even any activity on your credit card!  Do you have any idea how infuriating you’ve been?”

            “Shut up,” Adam growled.  “I’m coming.”

            “We’ll be waiting.”  The phone went dead.

            “Adam, you need to think about your friends here,” Frank warned.  “The chances of Daly and Raymond coming after them now are low, but those two old monsters will be looking for every edge.  And today we got a vivid reminder that they have more assets than just demons!”

            “You just let them come!” Jenny declared.  She hefted her shotgun.  “None of their demons can get into this house, and I got this for any humans stupid enough to try it!  Misty, you get your pregnant ass over here with the kids.  This is one pissed off bitch, and I almost hope someone tries something!”

            “Woman, I love you!” Pharrell sang.  “Hell hath no fury like a mom protecting her kids!  Now it’s time for Daddy to go kick some ass, too.”  He turned to Frank and adjusted his hat.  “Whatever you’re doing, count me in.  I want a piece of those fuckers!”

            “Mommy?”  It was Paul.  The little boy had come out onto the porch and was pointing, wide-eyed, at the sky in the distance.  “What’s that?  A tornado?”

            Up in the sky, while all the rest was still a glorious blue with the occasional white puffy cloud, thick black clouds swirled and churned.  Lightning danced through it, bringing a distant rumble of thunder.

            “Blake’s an angel,” Frank explained.  “Every time he’s gone against the warlocks, it ended up storming, remember, Adam?  Right from that very first night, I’d wager.  That night we almost lost him, the storm was so bad it nearly flooded the lower districts.  The weather people are in a tizzy, but it wasn’t coincidence or abnormal weather patterns.  Blake’s boss won’t interfere with the free will of the warlocks, but He has been making it known this entire time that He is not happy about it.  Now they’re over there trying to enslave an angel?  The weather over there is going to be very interesting.  Gentlemen, the area around that condo is going to be thick with some very anxious mutts.  We’ll have a time getting through.”

            “You just tell me what to do,” Pharrell vowed.  “I’m signing on for this fight.”

            Adam clapped his hand on his friend’s shoulder.  “Let’s go,” he called, heading towards his car.  “I refuse to let Blake stay in their hands any longer than I have to!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anit - **GOLD STAR** for guessing the fake call!
> 
> Mr. Fun did not say anything for a while, just made his mad face. Said he forgot about "their penchant for prank calls." Said he didn't think Adam would be Frank's successor, but wishes it was Uncle Eli. Said he wants to pound the wanker who stabbed Adam, but he knew the warlocks would cheat somehow.


	37. Passion and Pain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While Frank and Pharrell work with Frank's friends to battle the mutts, Adam goes in to try to rescue Blake

            The three of them didn’t say a word on the drive over to the warlocks’ condo.  But the closer they got, the wilder the weather became.  By the time Adam pulled his car next to a collection of a dozen or so others, the wind and rain was pounding at them, and the rumble of thunder was almost continuous.  Adam looked up, half expecting to see an army of the heavenly host swirling among the clouds above.  If only.  But of course, even if they were there, he couldn’t see them, and Frank gave no indication of seeing anything.

            Adam’s eyes fell on Frank.  The old man was grimacing, leaning on the car.  “You ok?”

            Frank hesitated before answering.  “It’s Blake,” he said at last.  “He’s singing, and the song is pretty bad.  He’s really fighting, and he’s in a lot of pain.”

            “I’m going in,” Adam announced.

            “Adam, calm down!” Pharrell cautioned.  “God knows I want to run in and stop it almost as much as you do.  But you cannot help him by charging in there and letting them use you to help control him.  He’s bound primarily to you, remember?”

            “Yes, I remember!” Adam snapped.  “And that’s why they’ll let me in.  They need me to go in so they can take the spell off of me!  Blake is in pain, Pharrell.  I’ve got to do whatever I can to help him.”  He looked at Frank.  “A little advice would be appreciated?”

            “The best advice I can give you, to be honest, is ‘Don’t go in there,’ and I know it’s not what you want to hear,” Frank sighed.  “Adam, you’re taking a terrible risk for more reasons than one.  If you go in there, you could end up getting yourself killed, and probably will!  And I can see in your face that you don’t care.  So here is my advice.  Keep your head, think about what you‘re doing, and don’t let them get to you.  They _will_ hurt him, Adam.  They’re hurting him as we speak, and they’ll hurt you, too, to get what they want.  Your best hope is your relationship with Blake.  He’s hurt and frightened, but he’s also very powerful.  If he can tap into that, tap into what he really is?  He might just be able to break free.  And meanwhile, we’ll do our part.”

            “And what are you going to do?”  Adam looked around.  He saw a lot of people who looked like street thugs similar to Dr. Greg, who was among them.  But intermixed with them was an assortment of people dressed as various branches of clergy, including a rabbi and a couple of nuns.  “No offense, but this looks like a convention crossover between the Hell’s Angels and the Village People!”

            “Everyone here today has experience with this sort of thing, except your friend Pharrell, but he’s already talking to the right people,” Frank replied, nodding towards Pharrell, who was holding his hat to keep it from being blown away as he talked with a man dressed as a priest.  “What we’re doing here is essentially a mass exorcism.  It’s going to be rough.  That place is literally crawling with their so-called ‘mutts,’ and once you’re inside, Adam?  You’re on your own until we can break through.”  He sighed.  “If we can break through.  Without the protection of the girls, this is going to be a lot harder!”

            “Just be safe,” Adam warned.  He impulsively hugged the old man.

            Frank smiled.  Water dripped from the tip of his bulbous nose as he looked Adam speculatively up and down.  “Paladin,” Frank mused.  “Isn’t that some sort of a holy warrior?”

            Adam smiled.  “Yes, Sir.”

            “Sounds like you fit the bill, son.  But remember, being a holy warrior always means paying a steep price.”

            “I understand,” Adam replied.  “But I’m not giving up on Blake.”

            “Me either,” Frank announced.  “We’ll do our part out here, you go get him.  Good luck.”

****

            Adam couldn’t see them, but he knew they were dogging his steps.  All around him, he could sense them.  He could almost see the glowing eyes as they balefully watched.  They probably hated him as much as the demon who had carried him to the warlocks had, and for the same reason.  They’d all been enslaved.  Even if he was able to free Blake, how could they hope to fight their way through the demon horde Frank had described?

            Unless, of course, Blake was in his true form.  But if he did take his true form, he’d no longer have free will.  Would he still be able to stay with Adam?

            No time to worry about that now.  His first priority was to get Blake away from the warlocks.

            To his surprise, the warlocks had helpfully posted signs for him.  Ahead of him was a piece of paper with a large arrow decorated in polka dots.  Large, brightly colored bubble letters had been drawn above it reading “Turn Here.”  Looking down the hall, Adam saw a similar sign ahead.  This one directed him through a door leading to a set of stairs.  The warlocks, he absently noticed, had good taste.  Their living areas were spotless, airy, and well-lit.  You’d never know by looking that the men who lived here were in the business of enslaving demons and were currently working on adding an angel to their collection.

            Adam went down the stairs, feeling his skin crawl, sensing rather than seeing the things following him.  But about halfway down the stairs, he felt them stop, and then back away.  Of course.  The cage the warlocks had for Blake was likely below, and it was protected from demons.  He must be close.  Adam braced himself, sternly reminding himself to keep calm no matter what.  Then he opened the door.

            As soon as the door opened, he could hear it.  Blake’s song was maddening.  The angel was on a platform in the middle of the room.  Adam had been expecting some sort of physical cage, but apparently that wasn’t the case.  The cage consisted of a raised platform on wheels about three feet square.  It was covered in strange symbols and glyphs, and decorated around the outside edge with a variety of mineral-rich stones and crystals.  The cage had been securely fastened to the floor with heavy bolts.  Dizzying symbols covered the walls, floor, and ceiling of the basement room.  Wards, no doubt.  Another platform similar to the cage was nearby, this one featuring a solid wooden pole about three feet high.  Ominous-looking leather straps attached near the top and at the base.  A long table where the warlocks stood held a variety of flasks of multi-colored fluid and objects, some of which Adam couldn’t even identify.  A raised stand at the end next to the warlocks held a large leather-bound book.  On the other side of the room, just beyond the smaller platform, was what appeared to be a gaudy crystal ball.

            But most of Adam’s attention was immediately fixed on Blake.  The angel’s wings were beating rapidly, his face twisted in a grimace of pain and effort.  His boots were on the platform despite his efforts, only managing to lift the heels an inch or so.  He strained with all his might against the chains on his wrists.  The chains, both of them, were leading straight down into the platform.  A bit of chain still protruded from Adam’s chest, but once more it seemed to fade out of existence a short distance from his body.  It seemed that, while he was still an anchor for the spell, the spell itself had been grounded into the platform.

            “Alright,” Carson called.  “Bring it fully down.”

            Usher nodded.  “On it!”  He had his gun out and was pointing it at Blake.  The chain coming from the barrel faded away just like Adam’s did.  Usher twisted his wrist slightly, jerking the gun.

            As Adam watched in horror, Blake’s body jerked and he staggered, panting heavily as his wings folded and vanished.  Then he leaned back, pulling hard against the chains once more.  “Stop!  Leave me alone!” he yelled.  “I have free will, and I choose not to let you have me!  I choose not to stay with you!  Let me go, I want to be with Adam!”

            “Ugh, it’s yelling again,” Usher complained.  “It’s giving me such a headache!  It’s been yelling or singing since we got it in the cage and I don’t know which one is worse.”

            “Leave him alone!” Adam yelled.

            Carson gave him a pleasant smile.  “Ah, welcome, Mr. Levine!  Please, come in.  We’ll get that spell off of you in a jiffy.”

            Adam clenched his fists, his eyes on Blake, who was staring back at him with wide, frightened eyes.  “Let him go!”

            “That isn’t happening,” Carson said, his voice sharp for the first time.  “It’s ours.  You agreed to this when you signed the contract.  Now, we’ve got it locked down in human form, and we’ll keep it that way until we can transfer the binding spell on you.  So if you’ll just wait one moment, we’ll finish locking it down and then we can assist you.”

            Usher did something with his gun, and Blake shuddered, grimacing and once again staggering on his feet.  He jerked frantically at the chains.  “Rockstar!”

            “Blake!”  Adam started towards Blake.

            “Whoa, bad idea!”  Carson quickly ran over and caught Adam by the arm.  “You don’t want to touch the…”

            Adam acted without thinking.  He punched Carson in the face with all his strength.  The surprised warlock went backwards, windmilling his arms as he sprawled.

            There was a burst of laughter from Usher.  “I told you!  Didn’t I tell you he was going to do that?  Now will you please do this my way?”

            Carson didn’t have time to answer before Adam was charging up towards the platform and Blake.

            The next thing he knew, Adam was lying flat on his back.  Every nerve felt like it had been struck by lightning.  It hurt too much to breathe.  He lay as he was for a moment, limbs jerking spastically, listening as Blake screamed his name and Usher laughed again.

            Carson picked himself up and came over.  He held a handkerchief to his bleeding nose as he looked down at Adam.  “You broke my nose,” he informed Adam.  “And I told you that was a bad idea.  Apparently, I should have just let you hurt yourself.  Maybe next time you’ll listen to me.  The cage is heavily warded in both directions, inside and out.  That keeps any curious or vengeful mutts away from our angel even as it keeps it inside.  You can’t touch it, Mr. Levine.  It’s ours.  Now it really is best that you calm down and cooperate.”

            He offered Adam his hand.  Adam angrily swatted it away.

            “Suit yourself, asshole,” Usher called.  “You want to be a sore loser about this, fine.  We’ll just strap you to that post and do what we need to do anyway.  That’s got my vote.  Your choice!”

            Keep his head.  That was the advice Frank had given him, and already, Adam had thrown it out the window.  He groaned, rolled over and managed to get to his hands and knees.  He somehow kept himself in check when Carson helped him up, but as soon as he was on his feet, he jerked away from the warlock’s hand.

            Blake was watching anxiously.  “Adam!”

            “I’m alright, buddy,” Adam told him.  “Calm down, ok?”

            “Excellent advice,” Carson told him.  “Every time it jerks on the binds, it’s only hurting itself more.  Do you think you could get it to be still?”

            “I don’t want to be still!” Blake yelled.  “I want loose!  Let me go, I choose to stay with Adam!”

            “Blake, I know, ok?” Adam called.  “But you gotta stop fighting like this.  You can’t do anything if you keep hurting yourself, so please, just be still?”

            Blake shuddered, but immediately stilled.  He stood quietly on the platform, his eyes huge as they moved between Adam and the two warlocks.

           “Oh, now that is just insulting!” Carson complained, scowling at Blake.  “We hit it over a dozen times and it wouldn’t stop fighting, but he asks once, and it’s calm and quiet?”

            “Tell me about it!” Usher agreed.  “Dammit, Carson, I cannot wait until we get this thing properly bound!”

            “Leave me alone!  I don’t want to stay with you!”

            “Listen, you stupid creature, no one cares what you want to do, alright?” Usher snapped.  “I really hope you can’t talk once we break the link with Levine, because I am damned tired of your voice!”

            “Fuck you!” Blake roared.

            “It’s utterly charming, the way you taught it talk,” Carson sighed.  “Mr. Levine, please go stand on that smaller platform and we’ll be right with you.”

            “Why should I?” Adam challenged.  “If you take the binding spell off of me and put it on a coma patient, Blake’s still trapped!  Why the hell would I possibly want that?”

            “That’s twice now I can say ‘I told you so,’ Carson,” Usher said.  He had his gun in his hand and was gesturing with it.  Then he stopped, aimed at Blake, and pulled the trigger.

            Blake gave an inarticulate howl of pain.  He staggered, fell to one knee, and looked around, wild-eyed as Usher continued to gesture.  Then he quickly got up, and once more began to struggle against the chains.

            Adam’s blood was boiling in anger and it was all he could do to keep from charging Usher and shoving his gun-shaped staff where the sun didn’t shine.  “Stop it!” he yelled.  “Alright!  I’m going!  Blake, stop, buddy, please stop fighting!”

            “No, Adam!  You don’t understand, if you help them…?”

            “Whoa, stop right there!  Blake, look at me.  I know you’re seriously freaked out right now, but it’s me, ok?  You know me, baby, you know I would never help them.”

            “But you don’t understand!”

            “Blake!  Listen to me,” Adam ordered, thinking fast.  “They’re controlling you with two spells, and you can’t get away from two spells at once, right?  So calm down.  Let them take this one spell off of me, and then we’ll work this out, ok?”

            Adam had no way to know if Blake got the message or not.  He bitterly regretted not taking more time to go over addition and, more importantly now, subtraction with the angel.  If Blake fought his hardest just as the binding spell on Adam dropped, he’d have one chance to break free of the lone bind with Usher’s staff before they could tie him to their coma patient.  But did Blake understand?

            It was impossible to tell by looking at him.  Blake stood on the platform, unhappily twisting his wrists in the manacles and looking anxious.  Adam knew he’d just have to hope for the best.  He fully planned to yell for Blake to fight as soon as the binding spell was off, but he had no idea how long it would take before the second one went into effect.

            Adam moved to the platform and stomped loudly when he stood on it.  “Alright, I’m here,” he announced.  “Bring on the coma patient.”

            “Good!” Carson exclaimed.  He picked up his familiar recently-repaired staff from the table, raised it a bit, and then rapped it sharply on the ground.

            Instantly, the chains on Blake’s wrists vanished.  The chains coming from Usher’s gun and Adam’s chest had vanished as well.  Blake’s body jerked once and his eyes went wide.  Then he went still, rubbing at his wrists and anxiously watching the warlocks.

            “Alright, that’s it,” Carson declared.  “The binding spells are broken.”

            “Both of them?” Adam asked.

            “Yes, and now we’ll re-bind the angel properly.  Now that it’s locked in the cage, it can’t…  Yeah,” he called as Blake tried to run towards Adam and was knocked back with a yelp of pain.  “Once you got it to stop fighting, Mr. Levine, we were able to close the cage properly around it.  Now it really is ours.  Thank you very much!”

            “Oh, you bastards,” Adam breathed, cursing himself.  That’s what Blake was trying to tell him, that his struggling was keeping them from closing the magical cage around him.  Now Blake was more trapped than ever, and it was Adam’s fault!

            Blake was staring at Adam.  His mouth worked, but nothing came out.  With a sinking heart, Adam realized that Blake had lost his ability to speak when the binding spell was broken.  “Let him go!” Adam pleaded.  “Please, just let him go!  He’ll die if you leave him locked in a cage until he’s forced to fight.  He’ll go crazy!  He’s not an animal, or one of your damned mutts!”

            “Oh no, it’s much better than a mutt,” Usher agreed.  He was smiling excitedly as he approached Adam.  “Get this, Levine.  We’re going to dress it as a bodyguard and go in with our best mutt, like we’re entering the mutt, right?  The angel’s such a big guy in its human form that no one will question it’s anything but a bodyguard!  So then those cocky Canadian bastards and all their sycophants will think that the mutt’s our entry, and that we’re so scared of them that we had to hire a bodyguard.  We’re even planning to throw the judging portion, not even entering the mutt for that, just to let them think we’re running scared!”

            “Then won’t they be shocked when they open the pit for our fighter and our ‘bodyguard’ steps in!” Carson added excitedly, joining Usher with Adam.  “They’ll have no idea what hit them once it pops its wings and starts swinging its sword.  It’ll carve right through their damned pit lord.  And the best part is that we can’t lose!  If they literally have no idea until the last possible minute that we’re entering an angel in the fighting tournament, they’ve got no chance to prepare to fight it!”

            “Like any preparing they could do would matter anyway,” Usher scoffed.  He pointed at Blake, who had opened his wings and was frowning in concentration, turning slowly around in a circle.  “Look at that thing!  It’s straining the hell out of the cage.  As hard as it’s struggling now, when the cage is keeping it still partially trapped in human form, just imagine what it can do when it’s full angel!”

            “Blake!  Keep fighting!” Adam yelled.  “You gotta get into your true form and bust out of there!”

            “Aaaand that would be strike three,” Usher noted.  “You know, I’m actually kind of hurt that you honestly believed we’d abduct a cute little girl!  But I suppose your opinion of us is quite low, despite all we’ve done to prove otherwise.  Tell us the truth, Levine.  Were you really sleeping with that thing?”

            “Yes!  I love him, and he loves me, and he wants to stay with me as a human,” Adam announced.

            The two warlocks exchanged a pleased smile.  “Perfect.”

            And then Carson suddenly grabbed him, wrapping his arms around Adam to trap Adam’s arms at his sides.  Adam promptly started to kick and struggle.  “Hey!” he yelled.  “What are you doing?  Let go of me, I’m already on your fucking platform!”

            “Well, it’s obvious that you’re not going to cooperate,” Carson sighed as he and Usher forced Adam to his knees with clearly enhanced strength.  “I suppose I can’t blame you.  But you see, binding any creature requires a suitable sacrifice.  Normally we’d use a derelict, but an angel requires something a bit more.  And the closer the personal connection, the stronger the bind.  What could be more personal than a lover?”

            “What?”  Adam squirmed frantically and managed to kick Usher where the kicking was good.  “You’re seriously planning to sacrifice me?  You’re out of your fucking minds!”

            “And that was literally below the belt,” Carson scolded as Usher staggered, clutching at his injured groin.  “Usher, pull together, would you?  I can’t hold him and strap him down at the same time!”

            “Let him kick you in the nuts and see how well you pull together!” Usher wheezed, staggering back over.  He grabbed Adam’s arm and quickly strapped it to the post. 

            Adam strained and squirmed for all he was worth, but was no match for their enhanced strength.  Before he knew it, both of his wrists and his legs were strapped in place.

            “Alright, open the conduit to the coma patient,” Carson instructed.  “I’ll take care of the sacrifice, you lock the bonds.  And this time, do it right!”

            “Oh, go to hell,” Usher grumbled.  Producing his gun again, he waved it and chanted.  He pointed it at the crystal ball and pulled the trigger.  The ball immediately began to glow a sickly green color.  “Alright, coma boy’s ready to go.  Hurry up, dammit, our feathered friend’s doing a number on the cage!”

            “Keep it up, Blake!” Adam yelled, straining to pull free.  “You can do it, buddy!  Bust that stupid cage!  You…”

            Suddenly, Adam couldn’t breathe.  “It’s nothing personal,” Carson apologized even as he tightened a thick strip of heavy cloth around Adam’s neck.  “I’m sure it hurts, and you don’t want to die, but if you just relax, it’ll be quick.”

            Adam fought to breathe.  Spots appeared in front of his eyes.  His peripheral vision was rapidly going dark, the world greying out.  He could see Blake, his eyes wide with horror, staring at him.  But Blake’s song seemed to be fading into the distance.  Everything was fading away.  Adam’s heart pounded and then skipped, preparing to go into its final, fatal arrhythmia as he was strangled.  _I’m sorry, Blake,_ he thought, feeling himself blacking out.  _I’m so sorry!_

            Blake’s eyes blazed with light, shining even through the darkness that clouded Adam’s vision.  Something suddenly shattered.  Someone shouted in alarm.

            And then he could breathe again.

            He could hear more shouting.  His body sagged, held up by the straps at his wrists as he coughed and gasped.  The world slowly swam back into focus.  There was a hand on his arm, holding him as the straps securing him to the post fell away.  The hand let him fall, let him land gently against a broad chest.

            Adam blinked, looked up, and saw Blake looking anxiously down at him.  His wings wrapped around Adam, and his entire body seemed to be glowing.  In one hand, Blake was holding a flaming sword.  His lips moved.  No sound came out, but Adam recognized what he was saying.  “Rockstar.”

            Adam coughed again, managed to sit up.  “I’m alright,” he rasped.  “Go get ‘em, Shelton.”

            Blake made sure Adam was able to sit safely.  Then he rose to his full height.  His wings arced up and he raised his sword, his furious blazing eyes fixed on the two warlocks.  His sword swung in a wide arc and then came down, slicing through the spellbook, the stand, and the table in a single stroke.

            Immediately, Blake vanished.  The room suddenly seemed drab, ordinary, a basement room painted in strange glyphs.  But then it seemed to suddenly grow darker, colder.

            The mutts, no longer enslaved or held back by the now-ruined cage, had arrived.

            Carson looked at Usher.  “I have always loved you,” he confessed.  “Kiss me?”

            Usher looked back at him in horror.  “Dude!  Eh, what the hell, c'mere."

            Adam looked away, but he couldn’t help but hear.  The demons took their furious revenge on their former masters.

            Then a gentle hand closed on Adam’s shoulder.  He looked up and saw Blake.  He smiled his familiar smile.  Then his eyes turned back to the demons.  Adam could see them now, as much as he didn’t want to.  It was over, but the creatures still fought, dragging unspeakable scraps with them as they fled.  Clearly they wanted no part of the angel.

            “Frank!” Adam exclaimed.  “He’s out there with Pharrell and the rest!  Is he ok?”

            Blake nodded.  He helped Adam to his feet, putting an arm around him to guide him towards the door.  Another swing of his sword opened it.  Adam was about to start up the stairs, but Blake held him still.  His eyes were fixed on the stairs, seeming to be waiting for something.

            Sure enough, Frank quickly appeared, followed by an anxious Pharrell.  Pharrell carried a staff topped by a crucifix.  He didn’t seem aware that the crown of his hat had caught fire at some point and had a large hole burned into it.  It steamed slightly as he followed Frank, trying to look everywhere at once.

            “Ah, there they are, the men of the hour!” Frank exclaimed, spotting Blake and Adam.  “And I see you’re free, Blake.  Tell me, what will…  What is it?”

            Blake was gesturing for Frank to come in.  Keeping his arm around Adam, Blake turned and pointed with his sword at something among the debris of the broken table.

            Frank moved closer and picked up what appeared to be a brochure.  He looked at it, and his face went pale.  “Oh!” he exclaimed.

            “What, Frank?” Pharrell called, still anxiously following.  “You see Adam and Blake?”

            Adam reached out a hand and clasped Pharrell’s shoulder.  The other man jumped two feet straight up into the air and gave a high, girlish scream.  Adam laughed.  “Need a new pair of pants, buddy?”

            “Oh, fuck you!  You have no idea what I’ve just been through.”  He did a double-take.  “Ok, why’s everything look so weird?”

            “You’re in the spirit world, but never mind that,” Frank insisted.  “Do you know what this is?  It’s the invitation to the warlock’s convention!  This is what it was all about, boys!  This war isn’t over by a damned sight, not when we know right where the most powerful warlocks in the world are going to be gathering in a few days!  I need to make some calls, get everyone on board.  All this time, I thought we’d take out these warlocks and more would take their place.  But now, thanks to you and Blake, Adam?  We have a chance to set those monsters back for centuries, maybe even for good!”  He paused, looking at Blake in awe.  “That was the plan all along, wasn’t it?  That’s why all of this happened, how those bastards were able to capture you in the first place!  Even angels get tested.  This was yours, wasn’t it?”

            Blake smiled.  His body glowed brighter, becoming so bright Adam was forced to look away.  But when he looked back, Blake had changed.  His flannel shirt, jeans, and cowboy boots had been replaced by a set of shining silver armor.  He raised his sword in salute, nodding at Frank.

            “What?  Don’t tell me you’re going to come with us?  You are!” Frank exclaimed as Blake nodded again.  “Looks like you’re going to fight that pit lord after all, aren’t you?  Well, I’m glad to have you, big guy.  To be honest, I wasn’t expecting to survive it if we went marching in on that convention without the girls!  But it looks like we’ve got a guardian angel in our corner after all, don’t we?  Nice to see your boss is finally getting involved.  Oh, I know,” he chuckled as Blake frowned.  “Your boss has been involved all along.  That’s why all this happened in the first place!”

            Blake smiled again.  Then he looked down at Adam and his expression grew wistful.

            “You’re not coming back, are you?” Adam asked quietly.  “Once you became full angel and got out of that cage, you no longer had free will.  And you were meant to be a guardian all along.”

            Frank cleared his throat.  “Young Pharrell, why don’t we go let the others know the good news?  Maybe let these two have a bit of privacy?”

            “Yeah,” Pharrell agreed.  “Adam?  I’m here, alright?”

            Adam squeezed his hand.  He waited until the two were up the stairs.  Then he turned back to Blake.

            The shining silver armor gleamed.  Adam spread his hand against the chest piece.  “Looking pretty hot, Big Country,” he said.  “And I get it.  I do.  Someone like Frank needs you, needs you even more than I do.  I’ve got no right to ask you to stay.”  He forced himself to smile.  “I’ll go on, to whatever may be waiting for me.  Still want to know what that damned crack in the pavement’s all about.  But I guess I’ll find out, huh?”

            Blake shifted his shoulders slightly, adjusting the shield on his back.  He reached out a hand and gently placed it on the side of Adam’s face, his thumb stroking Adam’s cheekbone.  Adam reached up and grasped it, felt the wetness and realized he was crying again.  Blake had once again been wiping his tears.

            When he realized it would be the last time the angel would do that, he couldn’t keep the tears from flowing.

            “Go,” he whispered.  “Go join up with Frank.  Kick the shit out of that pit lord and whatever else they’ve got out there, and make sure that no warlock ever threatens a little kid like Leesha again.  I’ll see you again someday.”  He swallowed hard.  “Blake, I do have one favor to ask.  When my time comes?  You said that no one ever dies alone, that there’s always an angel or a demon there.  So, even though you’re a guardian now, if it’s possible?  When it’s my time, I’d very much like it to be you that takes me.  Can you do that, Blake?”

            Blake nodded.  His hand moved to the back of Adam’s head, pulled it forward.  He pressed his lips to Adam’s forehead.  Then he drew back.  His lips moved silently, even as his song filled the air.

            And then he let go of Adam, and was gone.

            Adam sobbed and rubbed angrily at his eyes, staring greedily at the place Blake had been.  There was no sign of the angel.  Still, he knew exactly what Blake had been trying to say.  Adam wiped again at his eyes.  Then he smiled at the empty air.  “I love you, too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Unfortunately, due to Real Life Stuff, Mr. Fun didn't get to see this chapter yet. I'll post his reactions in the next chapter.


	38. A Crack In The Pavement

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adam tries to adjust to ordinary life

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song for this chapter is "Shine" by Collective Soul  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAYHt6dEgK4
> 
> My artist is back, this time with another full-color picture! It's embedded in Chapter 36 (Sealed In Blood). Too awesome!

            Adam thought he’d hit the snooze button when his alarm went off.  But half an hour later as he jerked awake, he realized he’d accidentally turned the alarm off.  He bolted into the shower, hastily brushed his teeth, shaved and dressed.  No time for breakfast or to pack a lunch. 

            Adam paused for a moment in front of the fridge, looking again at Leesha’s picture.  There they were, Leesha and Adam holding hands, with the figure of the angel behind them.  Every time he looked at it, his heart and his head ached in equal measure.  Frank had called him last night, telling him how Blake had torn through the demons at the warlock convention like the literal wrath of God, going not after the demons, but the spellbooks that bound them.  Even the pit lord had wanted no part of Blake, fleeing back to Hell as soon as it had destroyed its former masters.  Frank said that he and his people had barely had to do any fighting at all.  The old paladin was confident that they’d made such a huge dent in the warlock population that they might never recover, especially with all of their most powerful members destroyed by their own demon slaves.  Frank had been overjoyed when he’d relayed the news.  And all Adam could do was congratulate him and try to pretend that the very mention of Blake’s name didn’t tear the heart out of him.

            Adam tore himself away from his thoughts and headed out the door.  It was only his fourth day at his new job, and being late was not the impression he wanted to make.

            Unfortunately, fate seemed determined to screw with Adam as he was detoured around an accident site.  Last night, the weather had brought a downpour of rain followed by a bitter unseasonable cold snap.  This morning, the streets were icy and treacherous.  Adam found himself sliding dangerously around a curve, narrowly avoiding taking out a hydrant as he tried to detour around the accident.

            But then he found himself in a line of traffic.  Up ahead was a gusher.  A plume of water formed a large umbrella in the air, soaking everything around it while construction workers and a sodden police officer cursed and dripped, trying to direct traffic around.  A moment later, someone apparently managed to shut off the water.  Cheers rose from the construction workers.  Finally, traffic began to slowly creep forward.

            As Adam approached the police officer and was stopped, he rolled down his window.  “What’s going on?” he asked.

            “Break in the water main,” she replied as she signaled for traffic from the other side to move.  “Apparently, it was only a crack, but it’s been leaking slowly for a few days now.  Whatever caused that crack, it went clear up to the surface of the street, and the whole thing filled with water from the bottom up.  The construction guys say that the road was basically a mess of little cracks under the surface, and every one of them filled with water.  Then came the cold snap, the water all froze, and that was it for the pavement.  Now it’s a sinkhole, clear down to the water main, and the whole thing went boom.”

            “Really?”  Adam blinked in astonishment.  Sure enough, a hole marred the pavement, nearly a foot across.  It was exactly where Blake had made his tiny crack in the pavement.  A crack that had, apparently, gone the whole way down, fracturing the pavement along the way, until it hit the water main.  He took in the hole, the construction equipment, and the line of frustrated motorists and shook his head.  “All this mess, just from a little crack!”

            “Oof, here comes the jackhammer,” the officer noted.  “See the poor guy in the scrubs?  He’s a nurse, works nights and lives in the house right next to that hole.  He came home to this mess.  Now he’s going to have to put up with the jackhammer!  It sucks, but we gotta get that water main repaired or people are going to have no water.  Alright, buddy, your turn, move along.”

            Adam waved and started forward.  He saw the nurse, standing on the stoop of his home, staring in horror as the workers got the jackhammer in position.  Their eyes met and Adam gave him a sympathetic shrug.  He hoped the poor man had another place to stay.  There was no way he’d get any sleep with a jackhammer literally right outside his door.

            Of course, Adam was one minute past the cut-off time when he finally managed to get in to work.  He clocked in with a sigh and headed to the second floor.

            Sanders, naturally, had been assigned the job of training him.  After the first day with him, Adam had realized quickly that the man was an idiot.  The second day, he realized Sanders was incompetent.  Today, Adam added “lazy” to the man’s list of poor qualities as well.  Without Adam to do his research, Sanders had apparently spent most of his time going through everyone on the first floor to try to replace him.  Apparently, Adam’s former coworkers weren’t nearly as patient as Adam had been with the older man.  Adam spent most of the morning listening to Sanders complain about the lack of respect the younger generation had for people his age. 

            Meanwhile, Adam skillfully shifted funds, generating a nice tax cut for several clients.  Sanders apparently hadn’t realized yet that two of his clients had already requested to be transferred to Adam.  When he did, Adam didn’t know if Sanders would be angry, or just glad he had less to do.

            Fortunately, he was busy enough that the time passed quickly.  Soon it was lunch time.  That was when Adam remembered he had nothing to eat.

            Making his way down to the first floor lunch room, Adam spotted Pharrell and hopefully approached.  “I overslept today,” he explained, “and now I have no lunch.  I don’t suppose…?”

            “Slumming down here looking for free food, are you, Levine?”  Pharrell shook his head.  “Sorry, buddy, I just finished eating.  If you’d have been five minutes sooner, I could have helped you out.”

            “Well, shit happens, I guess,” Adam sighed.  He grimaced as his stomach protested loudly.  “Sorry.  I overslept and didn’t get breakfast, either.”

            “Aw, man, that sucks!  Listen, why don’t you come over for supper?” Pharrell invited.  “Honestly, I was thinking of asking you anyway.  I need a favor.  Leesha was up half the night last night crying and couldn’t go to school today.”

            “Oh, no way!” Adam exclaimed.  “What’s wrong?”

            “Blake,” Pharrell explained.  “We told her that he beat the bad guys and then went to heaven, and she thinks he died.  Listen, buddy, I know it hurts you, I can see it in your face.  I was going to let it go, let her work through it and maybe seeing you when you came over this weekend would help.  But seeing as how you need to eat anyway, if you could come over and talk to her?”

            “Yeah, of course, Pharrell.  All you had to do was ask.  You should have called me last night, I would have at least talked to her on the phone.”  He forced a smile as he caught the look on Pharrell’s face.  “Stop walking on eggshells around me.  He’s gone.  I know that.  He’s probably already got his partner and they’re watching over some deserving sap, putting the fear of God into any mutt that even glances at the guy.  And speaking of Blake, did you know what happened with that crack he made in the pavement?”

            “Yeah, I drove past it.  Damn!  It looked like nothing on the road surface, but what a mess!  Traffic was backed up clear around the block.  If I hadn’t left early this morning, I would have been late.”

            “I got detoured there, and I was late.”

            “Sorry.” 

            Adam patted his arm.  “Thanks for the invite.  I’ll head home after work, change, and be right over.”

            “I’ll call Jenny and tell her to make extra.  It’s meatloaf and scalloped potatoes with green beans tonight.”

            Adam’s stomach grumbled again.  “I’ll be there!  And I’ll talk to Leesha.”

****

            Leesha pounced on Adam before he was even in the door, wailing loudly.  Adam quickly scooped her up.  “Hey now!” he soothed.  “My princess can’t be crying!”

            “I don’t want Blake to be dead!” Leesha sobbed into his neck.

            “Oh, my baby girl, it’s alright.”  Adam nodded to Pharrell and Jenny.  Then he carried Leesha up to her room.  He sat with her on her bed and gently rocked her for a bit, letting her cry herself out.  When her sobs had turned to sniffles, he gave her a tissue for her nose.  “Leesha, Blake isn’t dead,” he explained.  “He’s an angel, and Heaven is his home.  He went to Heaven for a bit because he’s looking for a friend.”

            “Aren’t you his friend?”

            Adam swallowed hard.  “Yes, I am.  But this is an angel friend.  Do you remember the two pretty ladies?  Well, those pretty ladies were special angels.  They stay with special people and keep them safe, protect them from monsters.  And now Blake does that, too.  Those special people stand up to bad people who hurt others.”

            “Like Carson and Usher?”

            “Yes, like Carson and Usher.  Blake helped Frank fight a whole lot of very bad people like them.”

            “Daddy told Mommy he fought a pit lord,” Leesha reported.  “What’s that?”

            “It’s a very big monster.”

            “Bigger than Blake?”

            “Much bigger than Blake!”

            Leesha’s eyes got very wide.  “How could Blake fight it if it was bigger than him?”

            “Well,” Adam began, “just because someone is bigger than you doesn’t mean they’re stronger.  In fact, sometimes when someone else is bigger, they’re so afraid to feel small that they hurt everyone around them just to make themselves feel big again.  And sometimes, even if you’re smaller than they are, if you’re brave and you know that what you’re doing is right?  You can still beat them.”

            “You mean like bullies?  Mommy says that Bob Taggart is a bully because he always makes fun of Stuart Hanes because he talks funny.  He’s mean!  I want to punch him in the nose.”

            Adam chuckled.  “Sometimes, punching someone in the nose is what it takes.  But before you go around punching people, first try to talk to them.  It’s usually better that way.  Sometimes if you just stand up to a bully, and let him know that you won’t just ignore what he’s doing and that it’s wrong?  At heart, most bullies are cowards.  Sometimes, if someone just takes a stand, gets in that bully’s face and says, ‘Hey, stop picking on Stuart!’ and doesn’t back down?  That bully will back off.”  He smiled ruefully.  “Other times, you have to punch them in the nose.  But don’t do that unless you have to, ok?”

            “If I stand up to Bob, will Blake come back?”

            That brought a lump to Adam’s throat.  “No, baby.  Blake isn’t coming back   Nothing you did made him go away, and nothing you can do will bring him back.”  He frowned.  “Is that what you were thinking?  That you made Blake go away?”

            Leesha’s eyes were filling with tears again.  “I was bad!  I broke the lamp in the living room and after that, Blake didn’t come back anymore.”

            “Leesha, listen to me, alright?  Sometimes, people go away, even when we don’t want them to go and we want them to come back.  But when people leave, it’s for one of two reasons.  Either they go because they want to go and they think it’s what’s best for them, or they leave because they’re needed somewhere else.  Blake was needed somewhere else.”

            “I miss him.”

            Adam hugged her.  “Me, too, baby.  But don’t worry.  We’ll see him again one day.”

****

            “I don’t know what you said to her, but thanks all the same.”

            “I just hope I didn’t mess her up more somewhere down the line,” Adam confessed.  “I’m no child psychologist, that’s for sure.  Being a dad’s got to be the toughest job in the world.”

            “Amen to that.  But you’d make a hell of a daddy someday.”  Pharrell clinked his bottle with Adam’s and both drank.

            The two sat on Pharrell’s front stoop, watching the kids as they played catch in the tiny front yard.  Jerome and Paul were good enough to give Leesha a turn, despite the fact that she rarely caught the ball and frequently ran after it before tossing it wildly back.  As a result, the three of them spent more time chasing after the ball than actually playing catch.

            “You know I love your kids,” Adam confessed.  “I’d do anything for any of them, or the two of you.”

            “Oh, I know.  And that’s good.  We can double team Leesha’s boyfriends.”

            “She will never have a boyfriend,” Adam declared.  “Not until she’s at least eighteen.”

            “I was kind of leaning towards twenty-one myself.”

            “Works for me!”

            Jerome tossed the ball to Leesha.  It landed in her outstretched hands, bounced, and narrowly avoided hitting her on the head.  She tossed it back, sending it well over Paul’s head.

            “Word is Sanders is applying for retirement,” Pharrell mentioned.

            “Couldn’t come soon enough!”

            “Tell me about it.  You know I think he called everyone on the first floor, trying to find someone else as stupid as you were to do all his work for him?”

            “I love you too, Pharrell.”

            “I never could figure out why you let him dump half his work on you.”

            “Well, it is in our job description?”

            Pharrell scoffed.  “You were the only one who ever did all that work.  The rest of us made excuses and put it off until he moved on.  Didn’t you even notice that you were the only one who ever had a whole list of accounts to research?”

            After tossing the ball back and forth for a bit, one of the twins again tossed the ball to Leesha.  Once again, it bounced from her outstretched hands.

            “You telling me I wasn’t supposed to do all that?”

            “Hell no!” Pharrell exclaimed.  “Adam, we’re supposed to help research one or two accounts, usually no more than three in a week’s time.  That old bastard was giving you half a dozen every day!  You did half his work for less pay than he was making to sit on his ass and wank to porn on his office computer.”

            “Ugh, don’t remind me of that,” Adam groaned.  “My new desk is right next to his.  The first thing I did was take some of the bleach wipes we have and wipe absolutely everything down, just in case.”

            “Wise choice.”  Pharrell raised his voice.  “Leesha!  Do not chase that ball into the street!”

            “I gotta get the ball, daddy!”  Leesha grabbed for the ball and threw it back at her brothers.  It didn’t even make it halfway to them.

            “You know, there’s another rumor going around about the second floor,” Pharrell said.  “Namely, that a certain recently-promoted boy genius is slated to get Sanders’s accounts when the old coot retires.”

            “Don’t make too much of that,” Adam cautioned.  “I researched those accounts for over a year.  I know more about them than he does.”

            Jerome tossed the ball to Leesha.  It went wide, but the little girl dove for it anyway.  The tips of her fingers knocked it further.  She stumbled, almost fell, and then was running after it.

            “Shit,” Adam growled, sitting down his bottle and getting up.  “Leesha, stop, baby, I’ll get it.”

            “I gotta get the ball!”  The ball had bounced into the street.  Aided by the hill where they lived, it began to roll, moving out into middle of the street.  Leesha chased after it.

            Adam heard the car engine approaching, and suddenly his heart leaped into his throat.  “Leesha!  Come back here!”

            “Leesha!”  Pharrell was up now, too, looking anxiously at the car that was coming way too fast for the residential street.  “Get back over here right now!”

            “The ball!”

            The car kept coming.  To Adam’s horror, he saw that the driver’s chin was resting on his chest.  He was asleep at the wheel.  Meanwhile, the car was aimed directly at the tiny girl, bending down in the middle of the street to pick up a ball.

            Adam was running before he had time to think, feeling slow, knowing even as he ran that he was too late.  He’d never reach Leesha before the car.  Screaming her name, he raced out.  No time.  Legs pumping, he charged forward, diving towards her, shoving the startled little girl as hard as he could just as the car bore down on them.

            The impact flattened him against the hood and windshield.  The driver jerked awake, stomped on the brakes, and Adam went flying.  He hit the road and tumbled, landing in a jumbled pile in the street.  Oddly enough, none of it had hurt.  Adam looked up, and to his relief he saw Leesha on the other side of the street.  She had a cut on her head where she’d fallen after Adam had pushed her, but nothing else.  He sighed in relief.

            And then he felt the pain, and suddenly understood that he’d been injured far worse than he’d realized.

            “Lie still!  I’m a nurse!”  The driver of the car was white-faced as he ran to Adam.  “Just hold still, ok?  Oh please, God, please let him be alright, I’m so sorry!  I work twelve hour nights and I worked last night, and there’s a broken water main outside my house, and they’ve got this jackhammer and I should have called off but we’re short because Maddie’s on maternity leave, and someone call an ambulance!  Oh, buddy, I’m so sorry, just lie real still, we’ll get you some help!”

            Adam lay still, realizing where he’d seen the man before.  It was the nurse that lived in the house next to the sink hole.

            The sink hole that had been caused by ice.

            The ice that had formed because there was a crack in the water main.

            The water main that had filled the network of fractures beneath the surface with water.

            The fractured pavement beneath a tiny crack on the surface.

            Suddenly, Adam understood why Blake hadn’t wanted to do his divine mission.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mr. Fun very much liked the last chapter. Cheered when Adam punched Carson and nutted Usher and got a very big grin when Adam told Blake to go get 'em. Said they got their comeuppance.
> 
> This chapter, Mr. Fun liked seeing that Adam was being rewarded at his company for the hard work he did, despite "cheating" to get the job. Very much enjoyed the dynamics with Pharrell's family and Adam's chat with Leesha. Told the author she is not nice at the end and was mad I wasn't ready to read him the final chapter yet. That will go up in the am after he checks it.


	39. Talking To My Angel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When terrible things happen to good people, all we can ask is what's it all about?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song here, and the main theme and inspiration for this entire piece, is "Talking To My Angel" by Melissa Etheridge  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtsW8gdmfrc

            “Overall, his injuries aren’t that bad,” the doctor was explaining.  “He’d need surgery to repair his femur, his hip, and his arm.  The ribs will heal, and the internal damage is surprisingly slight.  He’s a very healthy, very lucky man.  But I’m afraid the real problem wasn’t caused by the accident, only exacerbated.  Has he complained of headaches?  Dizziness?  Weakness?”

            “All of the above,” Pharrell replied.  “He’s had headaches since he was a teenager.  Tell me it’s not a tumor?”

            “If it was a tumor, we might have had a chance to remove it,” the doctor said.  “It’s an aneurysm.  One of the large blood vessels near the base of his brain has weak walls.  I imagine his headaches were worse with stress, tension?  When his blood pressure rose, the walls of that vessel would bulge.  That’s what caused his symptoms.  It wasn’t large, and he might have lived with it for years without even knowing what was causing his headaches.  But in the case of an accident like this, it’s routine to do a CT of the head, and that’s when we found the aneurysm.”

            “Doc, what are you trying to tell us, here?” Pharrell asked.  “Because I gotta tell you, the way you look and the way you’re talking is scaring the shit out of me.  And the fact that my wife the nurse is sobbing her eyes out right now is making it worse!  What’s wrong with Adam?  Why won’t he wake up?”

            “When Mr. Levine was struck by the car it caused most of his obvious injuries.  But the real problem came when his head struck the pavement.  That caused a small tear in the wall of the weak blood vessel.  It’s been steadily leaking into his brain ever since.”

            “So what’s the plan?” Pharrell asked.  “What are you going to do for him?  We talking brain surgery?”

            “I’m very sorry,” the doctor said quietly.  “But at this point, the only thing we can do is try to keep him as comfortable as possible for the next few hours.”

            Pharrell grew silent.  Jenny sobbed uncontrollably, clinging to Adam’s hand.  After a long moment, Pharrell spoke again.  “Are you telling me,” he said, his voice broken, “that my best friend, the man who just saved my baby girl, is going to die?  That’s, that’s bullshit!  You gotta do something!”

            “I’m afraid there’s nothing we can do.  In all likelihood, he won’t last the night.  Shakira is here to help in any way she can with contacting family, final arrangements…”

            “Bullshit final arrangements!”  Pharrell was yelling now.  “He’s not even thirty years old!  Blake!  Where are you, you son of a bitch?”

            “Pharrell!”  Jenny’s voice was sharp.

            “No!  What’s the fucking point?” Pharrell demanded.  “Blake saved him from that fire just so he could get hit by a car and die in a hospital bed?  What the fuck was it all for?  Adam got the shit end of the stick his whole life.  Things were just going better and he found someone, and then that person was taken away.  He was trying to settle into his new life, and then he gets hit by a car saving my daughter, and now he’s going to die?  Blake, you owe him, dammit!  You and your damned divine mission, your stupid fucking crack in the pavement, you did this to him!  Now get your shiny armored ass down here and fix him!”

            “Do you really think he’s not here now?” Jenny asked.  “Adam said Blake would come back for him.  Whatever else he was, Blake loved Adam, and I know he's here now, aren't you, Blake?"

            "Then fucking fix him, heal him!  Do something!  If he really loved Adam, then how the hell could he just stand back and let this happen?"

            "Pharrell, Blake didn’t have a choice then and he doesn’t have a choice now.  This was all part of some plan.  There's a reason for it, there's gotta be!”

            “Then I want to talk to his boss!”

            “Pharrell!”

            “Mr. Williams, I’m not sure who this Blake is,” Shakira said quietly.  “But what you’re feeling is perfectly normal.  Anger is natural, anger at the driver, anger at God, even at yourself or Adam.  Mrs. Williams, I understand that it may upset you, but your husband needs to express his emotions now.”

            “Shakira, do you need anything else from me?” the doctor asked.

            “No, we’re fine, thank you doctor.  Mr. Williams, why don’t you sit right here and hold your friend’s hand and tell me about this Blake?”

            “I can’t!” Pharrell exclaimed.  He was sobbing now.  “I can’t hold his hand.  It should have been me!  That was my daughter, and I didn’t start out there because he was going.  I should have been the one to run out there to protect her, not him!  Adam, you stupid motherfucker, why did you do it?  It should be me lying there.  Damn you!  _Damn_ you, Adam, and damn you, Blake, if you don’t help him now!”

            “This wasn’t your fault, mister!” Jenny scolded.  “Her momma was inside loading the dishwasher and watching the news while Leesha ran out into the street.  But Adam was her daddy in every way but biology.  He loved that little girl!  He loved all three of our babies!  Of course he ran out there, why wouldn’t he?”

            “Why don’t you tell me about this Blake?” Shakira asked quietly.  “It helps to express what you’re feeling.”

            Pharrell began telling her the entire story.

            Adam stopped listening.  He wasn’t able to move or open his eyes, but he was aware of what was happening.  And more important, even with his eyes closed, he could see who stood next to his bed.  The shining silver armor clinked slightly as he moved, but the blue eyes were exactly as Adam remembered them.  _“Are you really here?  You kept your promise?”_

            _“Of course I did, my beloved.”_

_“Beloved?  I know I never taught you that!”_

            Blake smiled.  _“No.  You didn’t.  Without the binding spell restricting me to your words, I can finally speak in my own.  I promised you that I would come, and I’m here.  Don’t be afraid.”_

_“Is that a joke?  I’m terrified!  I don’t want to die, Blake.  You went away, left me behind.  How can you take me now?  You healed me when I got a knife stabbed into my gut, but you won’t heal me now?  You want to just take me away!”_

_“I didn’t leave you, Adam.  After I helped with the warlocks, I came back to you.  And I’ve been with you ever since.  As a guardian, I’m powerful enough to hide from animals or children or even someone like Frank, and that’s what I’ve been doing.  But even though I’m a guardian now, I still had a messenger mission to complete.  So I turned off your alarm clock this morning so you’d be late, so you’d go to Pharrell’s.”_

            Adam couldn’t believe what he was hearing.  _“You bastard!  You set me up!  It wasn’t just that crack in the pavement, you turned off my alarm, too?  Why?”_

_“Adam, do you remember when you asked me about what angels do?  How I arranged those objects on the table to demonstrate the chain reaction?  As a messenger, my job was to arrange things and provide a nudge to get people moving along the right path, towards their place in the divine plan.  And your job was very important.”_

_“Do I get to know what it was?”_

_“What happened at the end of that chain reaction I set up, Adam?  What was the final result, and what did you do?”_

            Adam thought about Blake’s demonstration.  _“The end result was that you knocked Leesha’s picture off of the table and I…”_   He paused, suddenly starting to understand.  _“I caught it!  Both times you knocked it down, it fell near me and I caught it!  That was my purpose?  To save Leesha?  But if you hadn’t caused that sinkhole, that nurse wouldn’t have fallen asleep at the wheel and Leesha wouldn’t have been in danger in the first place!  What was the point of that?”_

 _“The point was you saving her, Adam.  Leesha Williams will grow up, remembering that she loved you and that you gave your life to save hers.  She’ll remember the last thing you talked to her about.  She’ll remember how you told her to stand up for what’s right.  And she will do that her entire life.  Her life will be amazing, Adam.  She’ll stand for what she believes and she’ll reach out to help others.  I was to arrange things to put you into a position where you could change her life, so that she could change the lives of countless others.”_   Blake smiled.  _“You see, when you are living your life, it’s not always about you.  Sometimes, a life is lived for one moment in time, a brief flickering spark that flares up one time and then goes out, not seeming to have made any real mark in the darkness.  But that spark can ignite a flame in someone else, and that flame can burn bright.  You ignited that flame in Leesha, Adam.”_

_“She was a little girl who ran out into the street!  Anyone would have done the same!”_

_“But not everyone did.  You did, Adam.  That was your goal, your purpose in life.  And now that purpose is complete, and your life is over.  But your work isn’t done.”_   Blake reached out a hand and gently stroked Adam’s hair.  _“I was a messenger, and I had to earn my place as a guardian.  But you?  You were a guardian all along.  Guardians come in pairs, Adam.  You and I were made for each other, always meant to be together.  The little girl you saved will go on to do great things, and she’ll need help.  She’ll need someone to watch over her, to protect her and continue to light her path.  That's my job now, but I can’t do it alone.  We need you, Adam.  Will you help?”_

            Adam never hesitated.  _"Yes."_

            Pharrell was telling Shakira about the warlocks now.  Adam imagined that the social worker’s eyebrows had disappeared into her hairline.  But Jenny assured her over and over that Pharrell was telling the truth.  “I believe you,” Shakira said.  “God help me, I must be crazy, but I believe you.”

            Blake’s hand moved to Adam’s shoulder.  _“It’s time.”_

            _“I'm ready.  And I’ll tell you one thing,”_ Adam replied.  _“That armor is going to look way sexier on me than it does on you.”_

            Blake blinked in astonishment.  And then he laughed.  _“You’re probably right.  But I’m still taller.”_

****

            Leesha made engine noises as she pushed the toy truck around in the grass, plowing an imaginary trough through the ground.  She beeped as it backed up, then growled out the sound of the engine as it moved forward again.

            Pharrell had been kneeling next to the gravestone, checking that the flowers he’d planted were growing well.  Satisfied, he got up and smiled at his daughter.  The little girl had been inconsolable for days after Adam had died.  They all had been, but Leesha had taken it the hardest, asking questions no one could answer.  It was good to see her playing again.  “What are you building, baby?”

            “I’m plowing out a swimming pool, daddy,” she replied.

            “That so?”  He smiled.  “How’s come you’re using the plow instead of the backhoe?”

            “Because Jerome broke the backhoe because he’s a douchebag,” Paul explained.

            “Tattletale!” Jerome accused.

            Pharrell’s smile instantly turned into a scowl.  “Do not let me hear you talk like that again, boy!” he scolded Paul.  “Jerome, what are you doing, breaking your toys?”

            “It’s Paul’s fault!”

            “Is not!”

            “Is too!”

            “Hey, now, what’s all the racket?” called a crotchety voice.

            Pharrell looked over and smiled.  “Hey, Frank!  How are your bowels?”

            “Better, actually.  That tonic those blasted warlocks sent me actually worked.  Here to visit Adam?  I see your flowers are growing well.”

            Pharrell looked down and smiled.  “I never had much of a green thumb, but these seem to be…  Um, Frank?  You alright, man?”

            Frank’s face had gone pale.  His eyes were wide as they stared into empty space to Pharrell’s right.  “I’m fine.  Better than ever, actually.”  His eyes remained fixed, although they flicked slightly back and forth, as though looking between two unseen objects near each other.

            Pharrell looked for a moment where Frank was staring.  All he saw was his daughter, still making engine noises as she pushed the toy truck around.  He looked sharply at Frank.  “You sure, buddy?  You don’t look so good all of a sudden.”

            “I’m sure.  Excuse me, I need a moment with your lovely daughter.”

            “Uh, sure, I guess?”

            Frank moved forward and crouched near Leesha.  As he did so, he released a loud burst of flatulence that made Leesha and her brothers giggle uncontrollably.  Frank’s wrinkled face broke into a wide grin.  “It will happen to you too, someday!” he warned.  “But not today.  Young lady, have you seen any angels lately?”

            Leesha shook her head.  “I haven’t seen any since Blake went away.”

            “Well, my dear, that’s about to change,” Frank declared.  He gently laid his age-worn hand on the smooth face of the little girl.  “You are meant for great things, little lady.  If you are true.  If you stand for what you believe.  Your life will be difficult, but you have a chance to touch many.  But the choice is yours.”

            “You’re weird,” Leesha told him.

            “Oh, that I am,” Frank agreed.  “But if you look behind you, I think you’ll like what you see.”

            Leesha looked.  Her eyes grew wide, and her face broke into a sunny grin.  She immediately jumped up, but Frank caught her arm.  “You can’t touch them,” he warned.  “And you mustn’t tell anyone about them, or you’ll be weird too.  You’re very young, younger than I was when I received this gift and this curse.  But by the looks of things, it appears you’re in good hands.”

            The old man rose with difficulty.  He straightened and saluted the empty air.  And then he slowly made his way to a bench, sat down with a sigh, and closed his eyes.

            Pharrell stared at him for a while.  Then his eyes went to his daughter.  His sons had already gone back to their game, and Leesha was once more playing with her truck.  But over and over, she smiled up at the empty space where Frank had saluted.  His eyes went again to Frank who was seated still on the bench.  Too still.  Moving over to him, Pharrell gently tapped the old man’s cheek.  “Frank?”

            No response.

            Pharrell felt for a pulse, found none.  He turned and looked again at his daughter.  Then he quickly called an ambulance.  It was too late, of course, but he didn’t know what else to do.

            He walked over and stood near to the spot where Frank had saluted.  “Hear me now,” he said, his voice low.  “You two assholes had better be on your game, do you hear me?  And Adam, you said you’d help me when she started dating.  I am holding you to it!”

            Then he moved back to Frank to wait for the ambulance.

****

            Adam waved cheerfully to Gwen and Alicia.  The other two guardians waved back.  Between them, holding hands with them both, was a much younger version of Frank.  _“Goodbye, Frank!”_ Adam called.  _“Safe journey!”_

            _“Thank you for everything!”_ Blake added.

            All three waved, Frank holding up the hands of his guardians and waving his fingers at them.  And then they rose into the air and were gone.

            _“I did tell Pharrell that I’d help with the dating thing,”_ Adam pointed out.  _“I think I’m obligated to follow through on that.  One heavenly cock block, coming up!”_

            Blake rolled his eyes.  _“You can’t interfere with her life that much, jackass!”_

_“Watch me, dickhead!  Nothing says ‘safe sex’ like a guardian shield to the testicles, and if that doesn’t work, I got a flaming sword that’s ready, willing, and able to supply a custom circumcision to any penis that comes near our little girl!”_

            Blake groaned and facepalmed.  _“This is going to be a very long tour.”_

            _“I’ll protect her, Blake,”_ Adam warned.  _“At least as much as the Boss will let me!  Leesha’s got a great life ahead of her, and I’m not going to let some horny pimple-faced teenage cheese dick mess it up for her!”_

_“Cheese dick?  Did you say cheese dick?”_

Adam mimed swinging his sword at an imaginary target.  _“You know, I almost hope someone tries it!  Maybe I can’t cut his dick off, but I bet I can scare the shit out of him!”_

            _“You actually said cheese dick.  What does that even mean?”_

 _“Honestly, though, Leesha’s too smart to fall for the suave charms of some Romeo anyway,”_ Adam said.  _“That means we can keep an eye on Paul and Jerome, too.  Those two are going to be holy horrors when they hit puberty.”_

_“Is that, like an insult?  How do you equate a food with a penis exactly?”_

_“Blake, seriously, would you move past the cheese dick thing?  I’m talking about our future here!”_

_“I know our future.  It’s me and you, together forever, and for the life of this little girl, we’re watching over her.  And we’ll protect her, Adam, as much as we’re able.”_   He paused.  _“Seriously, cheese dick?”_

            Adam chuckled.  _“I love you.”_

_“I love you, too.  Now let’s get back to work, shall we?”_

THE END

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mr. Fun said it was a very bittersweet, yet satisfying ending.
> 
> Promise I'll put the MCD tag on the shelf for a while now. Off to a camping trip, where I'll be working on the story I have been bribed by artwork to write. We'll have to see where it goes! Luv you all, thank you for reading, and hope I didn't trigger anyone else too badly!


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